Chippewa Steel 2023 Draft Class

Jun 15, 2023

Chippewa Falls, WI – With the picks selected and the franchises’ 6th NAHL draft completed, it’s time to welcome the Chippewa Steel 2023 Draft Class.

The Steel made six selections this year started by Logan Stringfellow who was taken 20th overall in the first round. Stringfellow is a 5’10, 189 pound left shot defensemen from Andover, Minnesota. As a sophomore he won a Class AA State Championship with Andover High School, then followed up with a nice junior season finishing with 13 points in 27 games. At just 17 years old, Stringfellow has the opportunity to play his senior year back home, but the Steel are excited to see him in the Chippewa Valley when the time comes.

The Steel made two selections in round two, at 43rd overall, forward Cam Springer from Dexter, Michigan and defensemen Nicholas Hatton from Bloomington, Minnesota taken at 46th overall. Springer is 17 years old and has shown improvement season after season. With Detroit Compuware 16U, he led his club with 23 points in 15 games, and posted four goals in five games in the playoffs. Hatton is another left shot defensemen that brings experience and an offensive upside. In his latest season with the Dauphin Kings in the MJLH, Nick had a breakout season with 21 assists ranking second among defensemen on the team.

Moving to the 3rd round, the Steel went with size and experience up front, Evan West from Pittsboro, Indiana at 84th overall. West is ready to begin his 3rd season in the NAHL, playing his first two seasons with the Jamestown Rebels and his latest with the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks.

Without a fourth round selection, the Steel made a pair of picks in the 5th round keeping a balanced approach of adding skill up front and bolstering the blue line. At 148th overall, forward Sam Ranallo from Rogers, Minnesota provides production. In his senior season at Rogers High School, the captain led the team with 60 points which included 24 goals, not only did he have an impressive year, he is now the all-time leading scorer of the school with a total of 169 points.

To wrap up the 2023 NAHL Draft, pick 157 was defensemen Jameson O’Flynn from Hilliard, Ohio. O’Flynn played his first season of junior hockey with the Minnesota Wilderness and Alexandra Blizzard of the NA3HL. He was extremely productive from the backend with the Blizzard accumulating 14 points in 20 games including the playoffs.

 
“As a staff we were thrilled with today’s Draft results. You never quite know how things will unfold but we were lucky enough to be able to select 6 players who we feel can be impactful from Day 1,” said Director of Scouting Steve Williams.
 
“On the backend we like our defenseman to activate and create offense. All three of our d men drafted hit the nail on the head for that. With Landon, Nicholas and Jameson: these are guys who are mobile and can make plays with their feet. Landon’s a player we’ve talked about a lot over the last 2 years. He’s explosive and has excellent offensive instincts. Nicholas brings a year of junior experience. We love the intangibles and leadership qualities he brings to the team. With Jameson, he’s a player who’s played in the league, can really move the puck and has produced throughout his career.
 
Upfront, players like Cam and Sam are difference makers. Both of these kids play with pace and can generate offense with their speed. They’re both high-skill, creative players who can bring it in all three zones. They can create plays one on one or work as distributors of the puck for their line-mates. With Evan, you look at the size factor. He’s long and heavy, brings Jr experience, and provides that size element to compliment our smaller skilled guys up front.”
 
 
With main camp right around the corner, the Steel are excited to see their selections and tenders come together as the season is just a couple of months away.
 
Stay connected during the season by following the Steel @chippewasteel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and online at chippewasteelhockey.com.