Four players with Los Angeles Jr. Kings ties were selected in Phase II of this year’s United States Hockey League (USHL) Draft, which was conducted today.

Among those chosen was goaltender Mattias Sholl (pictured), who was picked in the third round (37th overall) by the Youngstown Phantoms.

This past season, Sholl was named to the All-North American Hockey League (NAHL) Second Team as a member of the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. He was also recognized as the NAHL’s Midwest Division Most Valuable Player and named to the All-Midwest Division Team. Sholl was also tabbed the division's Goaltender of the Year.

In 41 appearances, the 2000-born Sholl, a member of the Jr. Kings’ Jack Bowkus-coached 16U AAA Pacific District championship team in 2016-17, celebrated a NAHL-leading 29 wins (29-8-0-1-2 record overall), including three shutouts, to compliment a 1.99 goals-against average (ranking seventh in the league) and .924 save percentage (eighth).

The other graduates of the program selected in Phase II of the draft were forwards Jordy Brisson, who was chosen by the Chicago Steel in the 15th round (197th overall), Sam Deckhut, a St. Lawrence University recruit picked in the eighth round by the Sioux City Musketeers, and Huston Karpman, who went in the 12th round (89th overall) to the Aberdeen Wings.

Phase II of the USHL Draft was open to all junior-age-eligible players.

In Phase I of the draft, which was conducted yesterday and reserved for 2004 birth-year players, former Jr. King Anthony Yu was selected in the eighth round (118th overall) by the Waterloo Black Hawks. Yu, a forward, was a member of the Shawn Pitcher-led Jr. Kings team that advanced to the championship game of the prestigious Quebec Pee Wee International Tournament in 2017.

The USHL is widely considered North America’s premier junior league when it comes to developing players for NCAA Division I hockey. It has also groomed countless players for the professional ranks, including the NHL.