Nashville, Tennessee – The Minnesota Wild selected six players during the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday and Thursday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., including five players from rounds two through seven today. Minnesota selected four forwards and two defencemen, including two Canadians, one Finn and three Americans, all natives of Minnesota. The 2023 NHL Draft marks the first time in franchise history that the Wild have selected three or more Minnesota natives in the same draft.
Minnesota selected the center on Wednesday evening. charlie strammel With the 21st overall selection in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft. Strammel, 18 (10/15/04), totaled 12 points (5-7=12) and 59 penalty minutes (PIM) in 33 games during his first season of collegiate hockey at the University of Wisconsin in 2022-23. Min. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound native of Rosemount, K. also won a bronze medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship with Team USA while posting three assists in seven games. He won a silver medal at the 2022 IIHF Under-18 World Junior Championship with Team USA, recording five points (2-3=5) in six games. Strammel recorded 37 points (17-20=37) and 60 PIMs in 42 total games with the United States National Team Development Program in 2021-22. He collected four points (2-2=4) in five games for Team USA at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Under-18 Championships. Strammel played for Rosemount High School as a freshman in 2019–20 before joining the United States National Team Development Program for the 2020–21 season.
“Charlie is a heavy, strong-skating, physical two-way center,” said Judd Brackett, Minnesota Wild director of amateur scouting. “We are very excited to have him join our organization.”
Wild started on Thursday by choosing the center Rasmus Kumpulainen in the second round (53rd overall). Kumpulainen, 17 (8/8/05), played 41 games for the Lahden Pelicans junior team (Finland) during the 2022-23 season, recording 34 points (11-23=34), fifth-most among team skaters. is higher, and 26 pim. The 6-foot-2, 191-pound native of Lahti, Finland, represented Finland at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, where he earned five points (3-2=5), two PIMs and a plus-five rating Did. five games. In 2021–22, Kumpulainen skated in 43 games for the Pelicans junior team, totaling 17 points (8–9=17) and two PIMs, before appearing in 27 games and 20 assists for the Pelicans Under-18 team in 2020–21. After entering the numbers (6-14=20). Kumpulainen is the 11th Finnish player to be selected by the Wild in the NHL Draft and the first since goaltender Philipp Lindbergh in 2019 (Espoo).
Brackett said, “Rasmus is a big, two-way, possession center with excellent puck protection skills.”
Minnesota Selected Centers Riley Heidt in the second round (64th overall). Heidt, 18 (3/15/2005), played 68 games for Prince George of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2022–23, recording 97 points (25–72=97) and 36 PIM. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, led the Cougars in assists and was second in points on the way to earning second-team All-Star honors in the WHL’s British Columbia Division. Heidt also represented Canada at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, posting two assists in five games played. Scored 58 points (21-37=58) and 51 PIM in 65 games for Prince George in 2021-22 after posting eight points (2-6=8) and 12 PIM in 22 games for the Cougars in 2020-21 Did it
Brackett said, “Riley is a slick, game-making center with distinctive vision and hands.”
Minnesota selected Defenseman Aaron Pionk in the fifth round (149th overall). Pionk, 20 (1/16/03) collected 36 points (12-24=36) and 51 PIM in 60 games with the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL last season. Hermantown, Minn. The 6-foot-1, 173-pound native of the U.S. ranks fourth among USHL defensemen in goals scored. He finished fifth on the team in assists and sixth in scoring. Pionek recorded 28 points (9-19=28) and 14 PIM in 51 games with the Minnesota Wilderness in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) in 2021-22. He scored 40 points (15-25=40) in 20 games for Hermantown High School in 2020-21.
“Aaron was recently converted to defense,” Brackett said. “He’s a puck mover with a smart, accurate shot.”
Wild chooses defenseman pen parker in the sixth round (181st overall). Parker, 18 (10/12/04), has 38 points (6-32=38) and 64 PIM in 68 games with the Victoria Royals in the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2022-23. The 6-foot, 192-pound native of Saskatoon, Sask. finished second on the team in assists and third in scoring. He collected 20 points (2-18=20) and 70 PIM in 66 games with Victoria in 2021-22. Parker also scored one goal in three appearances for Canada at the 2022 IIHF Under-18 World Championship.
“Kalem is a two-way, all-position defender with good mobility,” Brackett said.
Minnesota selected ahead jimmy clarke in the seventh round (213th overall). Clark, 18 (9/24/04), recorded 47 points (19-28=47) and 27 PIM in 62 games with the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL last season. Edina, Minn. The 6-foot, 179-pound native of K led the jurors with a plus-11 rating, finished third in scoring and tied for third in goals and assists. He collected 38 points (15-23=38) in 31 games for Edina High School and three assists in 13 games for the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL in 2021-22. Clarke also played with the United States U-18 team at the 2021 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, recording two points (1-1=2) in four games.
Brackett said, “Jimmy is a high-energy, hard-shot two-way center.”
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