Five players of the Sioux Falls Stampede heard their names called during the 2019 National Hockey League draft over the weekend - Ryan Johnson, Ethan Phillips, Max Crozier, Anthony Romano, and Andre Lee.
Ryan Johnson – 1st Round – Buffalo Sabres
Ethan Phillips – 4th Round – Detroit Red Wings
Max Crozier – 4th Round – Tampa Bay Lightning
Anthony Romano – 6th Round – Arizona Coyotes
Andre Lee – 7th Round – Los Angeles Kings
Ryan Johnson, who was selected by the Buffalo Sabres at 31st overall, is just the sixth Stampede player in history to be drafted in the 1st round of the NHL Draft. Johnson was one of the top defensive players of this year’s class.
Last month, the Stampede won their third Clark Cup championship in franchise history (2007, 2015, and 2019) with a three game sweep over Chicago in the final round. The Clark Cup trophy is the top prize in the United States Hockey League.
Having five players drafted in the same year is a franchise record for Sioux Falls. The previous record was from 2014 when the squad had four players drafted.
