Three Jr. Sharks Players Selected In 2020 USHL Draft

SAN JOSE, CA - The San Jose Sharks Jr. Sharks (@SanJoseJrSharks) 15U AAA team had two players selected in Phase I of the 2020 USHL (

) Draft and one player selected in Phase II of the 2020 USHL Draft. Phase I, which took place on May 4, consisted of ten rounds. According to 2020 USHL draft rules, only players born in the calendar year of 2004 were eligible to be selected in Phase I. Phase II took place on May 5, and was open to players of all ages eligible to play junior hockey who are not currently protected by another USHL team.

"I am very excited for our players to be selected during the USHL Draft" said Sharks alumnus and current Director of the Jr. Sharks Curtis Brown. "It is great to see athletes being recognized from the West Coast and how instrumental the Sharks have been in growing the game of hockey since their inception."

"I had the honor of playing in the USHL for two seasons. To be drafted in the USHL is an incredible accomplishment," said Director of Player Advancement Mike Janda. "These boys know the work has just begun but they have started their journey into the best junior hockey league in the United States."

In the third round of Phase I, the Sioux City Musketeers (

) selected defenseman Garrett Brown, son of Curtis Brown. In 39 games this season, Garrett tallied 36 points (eight goals, 28 assists) and 28 penalty minutes. Brown is a five-foot-nine, 145-pound native of San Jose, CA. Prior to this past season, the right-shot blueliner skated in 86 career Bantam contests over a two-year period, scoring 25 goals while adding 39 helpers and 156 penalty minutes.

Forward Tyler Dysart a five-foot-nine, 168-pound native of Sunnyvale, CA, was selected in the ninth round of Phase I (125th overall) by Sioux City. This past season, the left-shot forward collected 47 points (26 goals, 21 assists) in 38 games, along with 41 penalty minutes. Previously, Dysart appeared in 86 career Bantam games over a two-year stretch, collecting 51 goals, 62 assists and 40 penalty minutes.

In Round 15 of Phase II, the

Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

(

) selected right-handed shot defenseman Aiden Celebrini with the 215th overall selection. Last season in 38 games, the five-foot-nine, 147-pound native of North Vancouver, British Columbia, collected six goals, 11 assists and 28 penalty minutes in his first year within the Jr. Sharks program. Celebrini was previously selected in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft by the Saskatoon Blades (11th round, 239th overall) but did not play with Saskatoon.

These three players join four other Jr. Sharks players who were selected in the 2020

WHL

U.S. Prospect Draft in late March: Shaun Rios and Ben Picard (

Tri-City Americans

), Philippe Blais-Savoie (

Vancouver Giants

) and Briggs Orr (

Calgary Hitmen

).

Established in 2000, the Jr. Sharks program boasts 28 teams comprised of boys and girls hockey. The program boasts two previous USA Hockey National Championships; 2017 Girls 19uAA and the 2011 Girls 12uAA. NHL players who have come through the Jr. Sharks program and its predecessor program include Alec Martinez (Los Angeles Kings/Vegas Golden Knights), Brett Sutter (Calgary Flames/Carolina Hurricanes/Minnesota Wild), Casey Wellman (Minnesota Wild/Washington Capitals), Matt Tennyson (San Jose Sharks/Carolina Hurricanes/Buffalo Sabres), Stefan Matteau (New Jersey Devils/Montreal Canadiens/Vegas Golden Knights/Columbus Blue Jackets).

About the San Jose Jr. Sharks
The San Jose Jr. Sharks is the premier youth hockey program in Northern California where the goal is long-term development, not short-term success. The Jr. Sharks offer competitive teams for boys (ages 9-18), girls (ages 8-19) and Women (over 20 years old). The San Jose Jr. Sharks program provide players with the tools and training necessary to compete at USA Hockey's National Championships, to have the opportunity to attend the National Development Camps, to play junior or college hockey, and to encourage dreams of becoming future Olympians or even professional hockey players. Several boys and girls have gone on to compete for prestigious collegiate universities or professional hockey teams all across the world.