The coach’s office in Middletown Sports Complex was buzzing on Tuesday afternoon as Craig Doremus and his staff made nine picks in the 2018 North American Hockey League draft.
Bringing in a new wave of players who will look to crack the roster in main camp this July, Doremus said he was pleased with the way this year’s draft worked out.
“I want to welcome all of our new players to New Jersey. An incredible amount of work was done by our scouts and staff to identify, recruit and ultimately draft some incredible young men, and we are excited to see them on the ice at main camp in July,” Doremus said.
Those on hand for the draft included assistant coach Bobby DiRico, director of scouting Gary Biggs and scouts Matt Dibble, Dan Cassano, Andrew Ferencevych, Matt Kiernan, Adam Houli, Tony Valentino and Justin Friedman. Working together in a span of just over two hours and 45 minutes, the staff picked nine players who will look to become the newest group of Titans this fall.
“The draft is an exciting time for our organization as we usher the next group of student athletes to Middletown and look forward to them following in a long line of Titans’ pride and tradition,” Doremus said.
Here’s a quick look at each of the nine players the Titans drafted on Tuesday.
First Round (14th overall)
The Titans select defenseman Craig McCabe from the Ottawa Jr. Senators of the CCHL. The Webster, N.Y. native recorded 21 points (7 goals, 14 assists) in 52 games with the Senators in the 2017-18 season.
Second Round (38th overall):
The Titans select forward Zachary Nazzarett from the Buffalo Jr. Sabres of the OJHL. In 43 games, the Cheektowaga, N.Y. native recorded 42 points (19 goals and 23 assists). The 17-year-old is also committed to Miami University of Ohio.
Third Round (62nd overall):
The Titans select James MacIntyre Wiseman from Avon Old Farms School of the USHS. In 24 games in the 2017-18 season, the left-handed defenseman recorded 11 points (four goals and seven assists). As a 17-year-old, Wiseman is currently committed to the University of Connecticut.
Fifth Round (110th overall):
The Titans select Nicholas Charron from the Rochester Monarchs of the NCDC. The 20-year-old forward tallied 21 points (13 goals and eight assists) in 45 regular season games in the 2017-18 season. Charron also attended the Titans’ pre-draft camp this past weekend, leaving a great impression on the coaching and scouting staff.
Sixth Round (134th overall):
The Titans select Evan Shoemaker from Edina High of the USHS. The 18-year-old forward is a native of Edina, Minn. and notched 16 points (9 goals and 7 assists) in 25 games in the 2017-18 season.
Seventh Round (158th overall):
The Titans select forward Austen Swankler from the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U16. In the 2017-18 season, the 16-year-old amassed 101 points (38 goals and 63 assists) in 63 games. The Irwin, PA native is currently committed to the University of Michigan.
Eighth Round (182nd overall):
The Titans select defenseman Philip Waugh from Trinity Pawling School of the USHS-Prep and the Mid-Fairfield Rangers U18. In the 2017-18 season, the McLean, VA native recorded 12 points (two goals and 10 assists) with Trinity Pawling and six points (four goals and two assists) with the Rangers. The 18-year-old blueliner is currently committed to the University of Vermont.
Ninth Round (206th overall):
The Titans select defenseman Owen Kelly from Victory Honda U18. The 18-year-old blue-liner hails from Michigan and picked up 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in 31 games during the 2017-18 season.
Tenth Round (230th overall):
The Titans select Bryce Witman from the Philadelphia Revolution of the EHL. The Reading, PA native recorded 62 points (37 goals and 25 assists) in 49 games during the 2017-18 season. The 20-year-old forward also played two games with the Titans last season.