Northstar sees four current players and two alumni selected in USHL Draft

ALEXANDRIA — Four current Northstar Knights hockey players and two alumni were recently selected in the United States Hockey League draft.

For the first time in program history, Northstar had a player selected in Phase I of the draft. Phase I of the draft is ten rounds and players under the age of 17 can be selected, while Phase II is for all players born between 2003 and 2006.

Northstar 16U forward Lincoln Hjelm was selected in the seventh round by the Waterloo Blackhawks with the 94th overall pick.

“Playing in the USHL has always been a goal of mine and this is a great start with an amazing Waterloo organization,” Hjelm said in a press release. “I’d like to thank the good Lord, Northstar, my coaches and my family for all they have done for me. I’m very happy and excited for this opportunity.”

Hjelm played in 49 games for Northstar, scoring 17 goals and he had 34 assists.

Northstar alum Talon Sigurdson was the first to go off the board in the second phase as he was selected by the Des Moines Buccaneers in the sixth round with the 91st pick.

Sigurdson played for Northstar from 2018-2020 and scored 93 points (42 goals and 51 assists). He most recently played for the Anchorage Wolverines of the North American Hockey League. He finished tied for second in the NAHL regular season with 38 goals.

The Lincoln Stars selected Dylan Cook in the eighth round with the 119st pick. Cook played the last two seasons for Northstar. He scored 35 goals and 59 assists in 57 this season.

The Waterloo Blackhawks selected another player from Northstar in the 11th round with 157st. Caleb Elfering was the team’s selection. Elfering played in 56 games this season and had 22 goals along with 40 assists.

Anthony Menghini was selected by the Fargo Force in the 13th round with the 188th overall pick. Menghini, a Northstar alum, played for the Des Moines Buccaneers and Austin Bruins (NAHL) this past year. In 37 games for the Bruins, he scored 20 goals and 11 assists.

Rounding out the Knights drafted, Brian Morse was selected by the Youngstown Phantoms. He was taken in the 15th round with the 222nd overall pick. For Northstar this season, Morse scored 13 goals, had a AAA-high in 61 assists and in points per game with 1.35.

“Having six guys drafted in the USHL this year validates Northstar’s development model,” Northstar Director Rick Randazzo said. “We are extremely proud of the hard work these young men have put into their hockey development, but more importantly the Godly men they are becoming in all aspects of their life.”