University of Connecticut Athletics
Three Huskies Selected in 2019 NHL Draft
6/22/2019 5:30:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
STORRS, Conn. – Three UConn men's hockey incoming freshmen in Vladislav Firstov (Yarolavl, Russia), Matej Blümel (Tabor, Czech Republic) and Carter Berger (North Vancouver, British Columbia) were selected in the 2019 NHL Draft on Saturday.
The trio were all selected in rounds two through seven of the draft being held for the second day at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. All three will be making their debut in Storrs for the Huskies this fall. The Huskies have now had 15 players taken in the NHL Draft since head coach Mike Cavanaugh took over the program in 2013-14.
Firstov was the first off the board on Saturday, going in the second round, 42nd overall, to the Minnesota Wild. Firstov is the second highest pick in program history, following Tage Thompson (1st RD/26th overall/St. Louis) and just in front of future teammate, rising sophomore Ruslan Iskhakov (2nd RD/43rd overall/New York Islanders)
Vladislav Firstov - Fr., 6-0/180, Forward, Yarolavl, Russia / Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
- Named to 2019 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game (12/18/18).
- In his one season in the USHL, he finished third on Waterloo in scoring, putting up 58 points on 26 goals and 32 assists in 62 games, ranked second among the league's first-year players.
- Prior to coming to the USHL, Firstov played 24 games for Lokomotiv-2004 Yaroslavl U17, scoring 25 points on 10 goals and 15 assists. He also had a 21 games stint with Loko-Yunior Yaroslavl in the NMHL, scoring four goals with five assists. In 2016-17, he had 50 points on 23 goals and 27 asssists with Lokomotiv-2004 Yaroslavl U16.
Welcome to Minnesota Vladislav Firstov! #mnwild | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/NQpIsU0mzi
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) June 22, 2019
Blümel was the second Husky off the board, going in the fourth round to the Edmonton Oilers, 100th overall.
Matej Blümel - Fr., 6-0/200, Forward, Tabor, Czech Republic / Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
- Named to 2019 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game (12/18/18).
- In two seasons with Waterloo, he finished with 78 points on 38 goals and 40 assists in 108 games.
- During this past season, was second on his team in scoring with 60 points in 58 games. He scored 30 goals with 30 assists.
- In 2017-18, finished with 18 points on eight goals and 10 assists in 50 games played.
- He has also had four years of international playing experience, starting in 2015-16 playing for the Czech Republic U16 team. Over the last four years, he has played in 65 games for his home country, collecting 42 points on 21 goals and 21 assists. At the 2017-18 World Junior U18 Championships, he had two goals and two assists in seven games.
With the 100th overall pick at the #NHLDraft, the #Oilers have selected forward Matej Blumel from @BlckHawksHockey of the @USHL. pic.twitter.com/R8dnmTw2AV
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 22, 2019
Just six picks later, Berger was selected by the Florida Panthers, 106th overall. The trio give the Huskies seven players on their roster next season who are NHL draft picks.
Carter Berger - Fr., 6-0/200, Defenseman, North Vancouver, British Columbia / Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL)
- In three seasons with Victoria in the BCHL, he played in 154 games with 108 total points on 41 goals and 67 assists.
- This past season, he led all BCHL defensemen in scoring with 63 points in 54 games, averaging 1.17 points per game. He was ninth among all league scorers in the final statistical rankings. He posted 27 goals and 36 assists and had 19 power play points including eight goals.
- In 2017-18, Berger, a left-handed shot, collected 34 points (10g/24a) while leading his team to a first place finish. He had eight points (1g/7a) in 12 playoff games.
With the 106th overall pick, the #FlaPanthers select defenseman Carter Berger. pic.twitter.com/E70rHCxrZ9
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 22, 2019
