Draft | 6/10/2024 11:19:37 AM

The United States Hockey League takes a team-by-team look ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft. 
 
65 players have been drafted by NHL teams since the Tri-City Storm’s inception in 2000. The Storm saw four players taken during the 2023 NHL Draft including Gavin Brindley (RND 2 | PICK 34), Andrew Strathmann (RND 4 | PICK 98), Sean Keohane (RND 6 | PICK 173) and Owen Beckner (RND 7 | PICK 204). The highest pick in Storm history is Jaden Schwartz, who went #14 overall to the St. Louis Blues in 2010.
 
Trevor Connelly | Forward 
Central Scouting Rank: #6 
College Commitment: Providence College

Connelly led the Storm in scoring and ranked second amoungst all USHL players during the 2023-24 season with 31 goals and 47 assists for 78 points in 52 games played. The Tustin, Calif., native finished his two-year Storm career with 125 point, the second-most by and player in franchise history. His outstanding play earned him a spot on the 2023-24 All USHL-Second Team. During the 2022-23 season he put up an impressive 18-game point-streak, the longest in franchise history. The 6-foot-one, 161 lb forward has played for Team USA on multiple occasions including the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, World Junior A Championship, and the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. Following his junior hockey career Connelly is committed to play college hockey at Providence College.
 
 
Nolan Roed | Forward 
Central Scouting Rank: #142
College Commitment: St. Cloud State University

Roed started and ended the season with the Storm, after playing the full Minnesota high school hockey season, serving as captain for White Bear Lake. Roed lit it up in high school hockey scoring 33 goals and 25 assists for 58 points in 30 games played. The Bears’ captain was named ‘East Metro Boys Hockey Player of the Year’ and helped lead his team to an appearance in the prestigious Minnesota State Tournament. The 5-foot-10, 186 lb forward played in 25 games for the Storm during the 2023-24 season tallying 6 goals and 9 assists for 15 total points. Following his junior hockey career Roed is committed to play college hockey at St. Cloud State University.
 
 
Thatcher Bernstein | Goaltender
Central Scouting Rank: #17
College Commitment: Harvard University

Benstein was acquired by Tri-City in February and played seven games for the Storm during the 2023-24 season. He went 1-4-1-1 with a 3.89 GAA and .826 SV%. Following his junior hockey career Bernstein is committed to play college hockey at Harvard University.
 
The USHL has had 50-or-more players selected in each of the last six NHL Drafts, with a league-best 57 chosen in 2022 and 2018. In all the USHL has seen 1,041 of its players selected in total, including four first-overall picks, with at least one player taken in each draft but one dating back to 1981.