The North American Hockey league held its second annual supplemental draft yesterday and the Titans selected forwards Jayden Sison, J.P. Turner and Rocco Testa-Basi.
Sison, selected 35th overall, is a 2003 birth year from Mt. Saint Charles Academy. John Paul (J.P.) Turner was taken 62 overall is a 2003 birth year as well and played with the Sioux Fall Stampede of the United States Hockey League (USHL) this past season. Nine picks later the Titans selected Rocco Testa-Basi from the Aurora Tigers. He is a 2002 birth year.
“We are extremely excited about the results of the NAHL Supplemental draft” stated Titans head coach and general manager Craig Doremus. “We were able to add three high quality forwards who will really add depth and talent to our existing forward core. Any draft is an exciting but nervous time as you hope the players you identify and like are still available. This year we were thrilled to have each of these young men available at the time of our selections.”
“Jayden comes to us from a very strong Mt. Saint Charlies program where he was one of the top players all year. He is an extremely smart player and his hockey IQ, poise and tenacity were something the entire staff was impressed with. As a future Princeton Tiger we are excited he will get to compete so close to his future home. JP is a young man who has junior experience in the USHL. If for some reason he is not back with Sioux Falls, we would be excited to have him. He is a very good hockey player who has a knack for finding the back of the net. A very talented center who can make others around him better. Rocco is a young man who we have watched for years now and think his best hockey is in front of him. He’s a strong two hundred foot player who will add talent and strength to our forward group. He has junior experience and has been a leader on his clubs. He will bring many attributes to our club on and off the ice” concluded Doremus.
The Supplemental Draft consisted of 87 selections with each of the 29 NAHL Teams receiving three picks. The draft order was determined by the order of the NAHL Entry Draft.
“The Supplemental Draft is necessary to serve as an additional outlet for teams to make decisions on how players performed in the 2020-21 season. A lot of time and effort has gone into scouting and recruiting. This way teams can make some decisions early,” said NAHL Commissioner and President Mark Frankenfeld. “Equally as important, the rescheduling of the NAHL Entry Draft was necessary to allow teams time to make decisions on how players perform at team tryout camps. Players develop over the summer and some of the best players in the NAHL are discovered through the tryout process.”