The Elite League is becoming a big part of our High School athletes' development and provides additional exposure to opportunities to play our game past the High School level. Currently we have Tucker Poolman and Gage Ausmus representing our Greenwave in the Elite League. Former Greenwave Michael Palmiscno and Jake Useldinger competed in this fall league and have continued their playing careers. Palmiscno is currently a sophomore at St. Johns University. Useldinger is playing for the Coulee Region Chill of the North American Hockey League in Onalaska, WI.
ELITE LEAGUE PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY, STRENGTHENS HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY
From Warroad to Winona, high school hockey is part of the fabric of Minnesota. But several years ago, the sport was threatened by the growing appeal of junior hockey in the United States. Some of Minnesota’s best players were leaving their hometown high schools, foregoing their remaining high school eligibility, to seek better competition and increased exposure in junior leagues.
The Upper Midwest High School Elite League was founded to give those players another way to find top-flight competition and exposure without leaving their homes, or missing all of the great experiences that high school hockey provides.
The concept was simple: Find a way to give these players the competition and exposure they needed, without disrupting the high school experience. “We wanted to keep these kids at home, and needed to give them a reason to commit to staying with their hometown teams,” said John Russo, one of the league founders and current Commissioner of the Elite League. “At the same time, we didn’t want to do anything to reduce opportunities for kids who want to play football or another fall sport.”
Those goals were met by scheduling Elite League games on Saturdays and Sundays, spread over seven fall weekends, leaving athletes free for traditional fall sports. A rigorous tryout and selection process ensured that the league’s competition level would be high. And word quickly spread among the scouting and coaching communities that the Elite League was a terrific place to watch a number of prospects at one time.
The Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association (MHCA) recognizes the importance of keeping players in school, and the contribution the Elite League makes towards meeting that goal. In 2007, the MHCA launched an ad campaign with the theme “Nothing Compares,” encouraging Minnesota hockey players to stay in school. “High school hockey is such a terrific experience, and we want as many kids as possible to have the opportunity,” said Ken Pauly, coach at Benilde-St. Margaret’s and one of the catalysts behind the MHCA’s promotional efforts. “The Elite League has been a terrific alternative for players who want to play at a high level, perform in front of scouts and still create those special high school hockey memories with their buddies.”
After a 21-game regular season and league tournament, 40 players from the Elite League are selected for one of two Minnesota teams that compete in the Bauer National Invitational Tournament. Nearly 100 professional scouts and Division 1 college coaches will watch, along with parents, fans and many others who enjoy the special place high school hockey holds in Minnesota.
The High School Elite Hockey Development Program and the Upper Midwest High School Hockey Elite League operates from September through mid-November and is intended primarily as a high-level supplement to the High School season. The program is a non-profit, 501(c)3 venture. The league features five teams from Minnesota, one North Dakota/Minnesota combo team and Wisconsin's top prep team. Shattuck's top team and other top Midget AAA teams also participate in some of the league's action.
High School Elite Hockey has a dedicated staff of paid and volunteer individuals who administrate, promote, scout and coach on behalf of the program.
Here is a list of all of the Former Elite League NHL Draft Picks
UMHSEL Draft Selections
Name Elite League Team High School Draft Year NHL Team Round Overall College
Nick Leddy Southwest Eden Prairie 2009 Minnesota 1st 16 Minnesota
Jordan Schroeder Southeast St. Thomas 2009 Vancouver 1st 22 Minnesota
Zach Budish Southwest Edina 2009 Nashville 2nd 41 Minnesota
Ben Hanowski North Little Falls 2009 Pittsburgh 3rd 63 St. Cloud State
Josh Birkholz Northwest Blake 2009 Florida 3rd 67 Minnesota
Troy Hesketh Southwest Minnetonka 2009 Edmonton 3rd 71 Wisconsin
Dan DeLisle Southwest Totino Grace 2009 Chicago 3rd 89 Minnesota-Duluth
Michael Lee Great Plains Roseau 2009 Phoenix 3rd 91 North Dakota
Nick Oliver Great Plains Roseau 2009 Nashville 4th 110 St. Cloud State
Seth Helgeson Southeast Faribault 2009 New Jersey 4th 114 Minnesota
Alex Fallstrom Shattuck Shattuck 2009 Minnesota 4th 116 Harvard
Jeff Costello Wisconsin Madison 2009 Ottawa 5th 146 Notre Dame
Nick Jensen Northwest Rogers 2009 Detroit 5th 150 St. Cloud State
Anders Lee Southwest Edina 2009 NY Islanders 6th 182 Notre Dame
Erik Haula Shattuck Shattuck 2009 Minnesota 7th 182 Minnesota
Kirill Gotovets Shattuck Shattuck 2009 Tampa Bay 7th 183 Colgate
Max Tardy North Duluth East 2009 St. Louis 7th 202 Minnesota-Duluth
Jake Gardiner Southwest Minnetonka 2008 Anaheim 1st 17 Wisconsin
Aaron Ness Great Plains Roseau 2008 N.Y. Islanders 2nd 40 Minnesota
Cory Fienhage Northeast Eastview 2008 Buffalo 3rd 81 North Dakota
Justin Jokinen North Cloquet 2008 Buffalo 4th 101 Mankato
Nick Larson Southeast St. Thomas 2008 Calgary 4th 108 Notre Dame
Drew Olson North Brainerd 2008 Columbus 4th 118 UMD
Jeff Foss Great Plains Moorhead 2008 Nashville 6th 166 RPI
Joe Gleason Southwest Edina 2008 Chicago 7th 192 North Dakota
Nate Condon Wiscosin Wausau West 2008 Colorado 7th 200 Minnesota
Ryan McDonough Northeast Cretin Derham 2007 Monteral 1st 12 Wisconsin
Patrick White North Grand Rapids 2007 Vancouver 1st 25 Minnesota
Nico Sacchetti North Virginia 2007 Dallas 2nd 50 Minnesota
Mike Hoeffel Northeast Hill Murray 2007 N.J. 2nd 57 Minnesota
Jake Hansen Northeast WBL 2007 Chicago 3rd 68 Minnesota
Travis Erstad Wisconsin Stevens Point 2007 St. Louis 4th 100 Wisconsin
John Lee Great Plains Moorhead 2007 Florida 5th 131 North Dakota
Josh Turnbull North Duluth East 2007 L.A. 5th 137 Wisconsin
Scott Kishel North Virginia 2007 Monteral 7th 192 UMD
David Fischer Southeast Aple Valley 2006 Monteral 1st 20 Minnesota
Carl Sneep North Brainerd 2006 Pittsburgh 2nd 32 Boston College
Mike Forney North Thief River Falls 2006 Atlanta 3rd 80 North Dakota
Aaron Marvin Great Plains Warroad 2006 Calgary 3rd 89 St. Cloud
Andy Sackrison Southwest St. Louis Park 2006 St. Louis 5th 124 Mankato
Jordan Fulton Northwest Breck 2006 Calgary 6th 179 UMD
Chris Hickey Northeast Cretin Derham 2006 Minnesota 7th 192 Wisconsin
Jay Barriball Southwest Holy Angels 2006 San Jose 7th 203 Minnesota
HS Grad Year Name High School College Elite League Team
2010 Mark Alt Cretin Derham Hall Minnesota Southeast
2010 Joe Basaraba Shattuck Minnesota Duluth Shattuck
2010 Nick Bjugstad Blaine College Northwest
2010 Chris Casto Hill Murray Minnesota Duluth Northeast
2010 Jason Clark Shattuck Wisconsin Shattuck
2010 Willie Corrin International Falls Minnesota Duluth North
2010 Justin Crandall St. Thomas Minnesota Duluth Southeast
2010 Cal Decowski Andover Minnesota Duluth Northwest
2010 Joe Faust Bloomington Jefferson Princeton Southeast
2010 Danny Fick Forest Lake Harvard North
2010 Derek Forbort Duluth East North Dakota North
2010 Tyson Fulton Breck Union College Northwest
2010 Max Gaede Woodbury Minnesota State Southeast
2010 Max Gardiner Minnetonka Minnesota Southwest
2010 Kirill Gotovets Shattuck Cornell Shattuck
2010 Zane Gothberg Thief River Falls North Dakota Great Plains
2010 Garrett Hendrickson Virginia St. Cloud State North
2010 Caleb Herbert Bloomington Jefferson Minnesota Duluth Southwest
2010 Troy Hesketh Minnetonka Wisconsin Southwest
2010 Justin Holl Minnetonka Minnesota Southwest
2010 Christian Isackson St. Thomas Minnesota Southeast
2010 Adam Krause Hermantown Minnesota Duluth North
2010 J.P. Lafontaine Shattuck Minnesota State Shattuck
2010 Tony Larson Blaine Alaska Anchorage Northeast
2010 Ben Marshall Mahtomedi Minnesota Northeast
2010 Michael Morin Breck Colorado College Southwest
2010 Jimmyy Mullin Shattuck Miami - Ohio Shattuck
2010 Brock Nelson Warroad North Dakota Great Plains
2010 James Polk Shattuck Nebraska Omaha Shattuck
2010 Andrew Prochno Minnetonka St. Cloud State Southwest
2010 Connor Reilly Holy Angels Minnesota Northeast
2010 Ryan Reilly Holy Angels Minnesota Northeast
2010 Eric Scheid Blaine Alaska Anchorage Northwest
2010 Archie Skalbeck Hopkins Colorado College Southwest
2010 Brett Stern Centennial Minnesota State Northeast
2010 Andy Welinski Duluth East Minnesota Duluth North
2009 Matt Bruneteau Shattuck Vermont Shattuck
2009 Cody Strang Madison Edgewood Wisconsin Wisconsin
2009 Ben Hanowski Little Falls St. Cloud State North
2009 Danny Mattson Holy Angels North Dakota Southwest
2009 Zach Budish Edina Minnesota Southwest
2009 Nick Leddy Eden Prairie Minnesota Southwest
2009 Tyler Pitlick Centennial Minnesota State Northeast
2009 Nick Oliver Roseau St. Cloud State Great Plains
2009 Josh Birkholz Blake School Minnesota Northwest
2009 Seth Helgeson Faribault Minnesota Southeast
2009 Marshall Everson Edina Harvard Southwest
2009 Tyler Lapic New Prague Wisconsin Southeast
2009 Max Tardy Duluth East Minnesota Duluth North
2009 Zach Palmquist South St. Paul Minnesota State Southeast
2009 Ben Persian Orono Air Force Northwest
2009 Alex McLean Duluth East Air Force North
2009 Joe Rehkamp Breck Air Force Northwest
2009 Thomas Fallen Armstrong Air Force Northwest
2009 Patrick Borer Benilde St. Margarets Nebraska Omaha Northwest
2009 Izzak Berglund Little Falls Merrimack North
2009 Erik Haula Shattuck St. Marys Minnesota Shattuck
2009 Anders Lee Edina Notre Dame Southwest
2009 Aaron Harstad Stevens Point Colorado College Wisconsin
2009 Matt Paape Appleton United Wisconsin Wisconsin
2009 Dan Delisle Totino Grace Minnesota Duluth Northeast
2009 Nathan Sinz Shattuck St. Marys Colgate Shattuck
2009 Tyler Landman Roseau Providence Great Plains
2009 Brendan Baker Edina Holy Cross Southwest
2009 Alexander Fallstrom Shattuck St. Marys Harvard Shattuck
2009 Bill Simon Lakeville South Providence North
2009 Aaron Jamnick Hibbing Providence North
2009 Willie Hess Centennial Providence Northeast
2009 Nate Schmidt St. Cloud Cathedral Minnesota North
2009 Ryan Walters St. Thomas Minnesota Southeast
2009 Jeff Costello Catholic Memorial Notre Dame Wisconsin
2008 Ryan Bohrer Cretin Derham Hall Northeast Canisius
2008 Bo Dolan Hill Murray Northeast RPI
2008 Ben Lynch Blaine Northwest RIT
2008 Cory Thorson Armstrong Northwest St. Cloud State
2008 Chase Drake Mosinee Wisconsin Wisconsin
2008 Seth Soley Eau Claire Michigan Tech Wisconsin
2008 Jefferson Dahl Eau Claire Wisconsin Wisconsin
2008 Ted Behrend Oregon Colorado College Wisconsin
2008 Cody Strang Madison Edgewood Wisconsin Wisconsin
2008 Aaron Ness Roseau Minnesota Great Plains
2008 Brandon Bahneman Rochester Lourdes Bentley Southeast
2008 Jordy Murray Shattuck St.Mary's Wisconsin Great Plains
2008 Joe Gleason Edina North Dakota Southwest
2008 Jake Gardiner Minnetonka Wisconsin Southwest
2008 Joey Frazer Brainerd Nebraska Omaha North
2008 Alex Rush Eden Prairie Princeton Southwest
2008 John O'Neil Anoka Minnesota Duluth Northwest
2008 Adam Mueller Roseville Minnesota State Northeast
2008 Tyler Barnes Burnsville Wisconsin Southwest
2008 Nathan Condon Wausau West Minnesota Wisconsin
2008 Cory Fienhage Eastview North Dakota Northeast
2008 Jake Hendrickson Burnsville Minnesota Duluth Southwest
2008 Anthony Decenzo Hibbing Vermont North
2008 Chris Student Benilde St.Margaret Northeastern Southwest
2008 Justin Jokinen Cloquet Minnesota State North
2008 Anthony Raiola Minnetonka Massachusetts Southwest
2008 Bryce Ravndalen Warroad St. Cloud State Great Plains
2008 Matt Bergland Benilde St. Margarets Providence Southwest
2008 Dan Sova Hill Murray Michigan Tech Northeast
2008 Joe Howe Wayzata Colorado College Northwest
2008 Luke Greiner Shattuck St. Marys Harvard Shattuck
2008 Steven Hoshaw Culver Military Alaska Fairbanks Culver
2008 Corey Leivermann Mankato West Minnesota State Southwest
2008 Michael Lee Roseau St. Cloud State North
2007 Drew Olson Brainerd Minnesota Duluth North
2007 Rob Maloney Eastview Providence Southeast
2007 Luke McManus Rosemount Minnesota Duluth Southeast
2007 Zach Lehrke Park Rapids Minnesota State Great Plains
2007 David Eddy Woodbury St. Cloud State Northeast
2007 Chris Stafne Duluth Denfield Minnesota Duluth North
2007 David Brown Cloquet Providence North
2007 Jack Barnes The Blake School Army Southwest
2007 Ryan McDonagh Cretin-Derham Wisconsin Northeast
2007 Taylor Matson Holy Angels Minnesota Southwest
2007 Nick Larson Hill-Murray Minnesota Northeast
2007 Kent Patterson Blake School Minnesota Northwest
2007 Brandon Martell Elk River Ohio State Northwest
2007 Matt Reber Edina Dartmouth Southwest
2007 Joe Stejskal Grand Rapids Dartmouth North
2007 Scott Kishel Virginia Minnesota Duluth North
2007 James Knelman Holy Angels Colgate Southwest
2007 Jack Connelly Duluth Marshall Minnesota Duluth North
2007 Joe Schiller Detroit Lakes Minnesota State Great Plains
2007 Dan Vranek Eden Prairie New Hampshire Southwest
2007 Reid Ellingson Cloquet Northern Michigan North
2007 Nick Larson St. Thomas Notre Dame Southeast
2006 Patrick White Grand Rapids Minnesota North
2006 Tyler Johnson Cloquet Colorado College North
2006 Aaron Marvin Warroad St. Cloud State Great Plains
2006 Adam Estoclet Benilde St.Margaret Dartmouth Southwest
2006 Bryan Brutlag Holy Angels RPI Southwest
2006 Josh Levine Bloomington Jefferson Princeton Southwest
2006 Mike Louwerse Blake Minnesota State Southwest
2006 Jordy Christian Moorhead St. Cloud State Great Plains
2006 Chris Hickey Cretin Wisconsin Northeast
2006 John Lee Moorhead Denver Great Plains
2006 Tyler Kieffer Stillwater St. Cloud State Northeast
2006 Jeff Foss Moorhead RPI Great Plains
2006 Travis Erstad Stevens Point Wisconsin Wisconsin
2006 Tyler Thompson Benilde St.Margaret Minnesota State Southwest
..
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