The 2016 NHL Draft, which concluded Saturday, June 25th, featured the selection of 11 Minnesota natives, including two taken in the first round. In total, a record setting 12 American-born players were selected in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo, NY.
Arizona native Auston Matthews started the draft off on a high note for the U.S. as he was taken with the first overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Two more U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP) alums, Matthew Tkachuk (Scottsdale, AZ) and Clayton Keller (Chesterfield, MO), were taken in the top ten picks.
With the 19th pick, the New York Islanders made Kieffer Bellows (Edina, MN) the first Minnesotan selected. Bellows will join a long list of State of Hockey natives in the Isles’ organization, including fellow Edina High School alumni Anders Lee. Before moving onto the United States Hockey League (USHL) and NTDP, Bellows won state titles at the Peewee, Bantam and high school levels with his hometown Edina Hornets.
Blaine High School star and 2016 Mr. Hockey Riley Tufte (Blaine, MN) was drafted 25th in the first round by the Dallas Stars. Tufte scored 47 goals and had 31 assists in 25 games during his senior year at Blaine. He added 10 goals and 14 points while playing pre/post season with the Fargo Force of the USHL. The last time two Minnesotans were taken in the first round of the NHL Draft was in 2010 when Tufte’s role model from Blaine, Nick Bjugstad, was selected along with Brock Nelson and Derek Forbort.
Ryan Lindren (Lakeville, MN) was the lone Minnesota native taken in the second round. Two more were picked in the third round, another in the fourth round, two in the fifth and three were selected in the sixth round.
A total of 55 Americans were chosen in the 2016 NHL Draft. Players drafted represented 19 states, including Arizona (2), Colorado (2), Connecticut (2), Florida (5), Illinois (2), Indiana (1), Maryland (1), Massachusetts (3), Michigan (8), Minnesota (11), Missouri (4), New Jersey (4), New York (5), North Carolina (1), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (1), Vermont (1) and Washington (1).
Here is the complete list of Minnesotans taken in the 2016 NHL Draft:
| Round | Pick | Overall | Name | NHL Team | 2015-16 Team | Association |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | 19 | Kieffer Bellows | New York Islanders | USA U-18 | Edina |
| 1 | 25 | 25 | Riley Tufte | Dallas Stars | Blaine High School | Blaine |
| 2 | 19 | 49 | Ryan Lindgren | Boston Bruins | USA U-18 | Lakeville |
| 3 | 12 | 73 | Joey Anderson | New Jersey Devils | USA U-18 | Roseville |
| 3 | 15 | 76 | Rem Pitlick | Nashville Predators | Muskegon (USHL) | Wayzata |
| 4 | 13 | 104 | Max Zimmer | Carolina Hurricanes | Chicago (USHL) | Wayzata |
| 5 | 3 | 124 | Casey Staum | Montreal Canadiens | Hill-Murray High School | Roseville |
| 5 | 5 | 126 | Mitchell Mattson | Calgary Flames | Grand Rapids High School | Grand Rapids |
| 6 | 1 | 152 | Jack Walker | Toronto Maple Leafs | Victoria (WHL) | Edina |
| 6 | 4 | 155 | Peter Thome | Columbus Blue Jackets | Aberdeen (NAHL) | Minneapolis Storm |
| 6 | 22 | 173 | Blake Hillman | Chicago Blackhawks | Denver (NCHC) | Elk River |