Sharks pick IceDogs’ Gushchin in third round of NHL draft
Welland native Ambrosio goes to the Avalanche in the fourth
Danil Gushchin’s ears must be burning this year when it comes to hearing his name called in a hockey draft.
In June, the 18-year-old forward from Yekaterinburg, Russia, was picked fourth overall by the Niagara IceDogs in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) import draft.
On Wednesday, the five-footeight, 165-pound, left-handed shot was chosen by the San Jose Sharks in the third round of the National Hockey League Entry Draft with the 76th selection.
Gushchin, a “playmaker” who likens his game to that of Johnny Goudreau of the Calgary Flames, went into the seven-round draft expecting to be taken in the second round. He was listed No. 41 among North American skaters in the final NHL Central Scouting rankings after receiving a midterm mark of 37.
“But it doesn’t matter what round and who picked me. I am so excited,” he said in an interview from his family’s home in Russia.
Last season, Gushchin had 22 goals and 25 assists in 42 games with the Muskegon, Mich., Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League.
He also served as an alternate captain on the team after scoring 16 goals and collecting 20 assists in 50 regular-season games as a rookie with the Lumberjacks.
This is the second time in as many seasons Gushchin has been selected in the import draft. In 2019, he was taken by the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League with the seventh pick but chose to remain in the United States Hockey League.
Gushchin committed to the IceDogs this time out rather than go to Europe to continue his development or return to the Lumberjacks for a third season.
“I think the CHL has the most skilled leagues for development,” he said of his decision to come to Niagara.
Gushchin listed play in the defensive zone and “play on the puck” as the areas in his game that need the most improvement.
He finished his second season in the USHL with a plus-21 rating and tied for the league lead in game-winning goals, with six, and short-handed goals, with three.
He was named to the USHL’s third all-star team and, internationally, helped Russia to the gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and a silver at the 2018 under-18 world championships.
Gushchin, who played two seasons in Moscow before going to the United States at age 16, hopes to arrive in Canada sometime in November so he can be settled by the time IceDogs training camp at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines gets underway. OHL training camps are tentatively set to open Nov. 15 with a shortened season — 64 games, down from 68 — scheduled to begin Dec. 1.
Forward Colby Ambrosio, 18, of Welland was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the fourth round of the NHL draft with the 118th pick overall.
After spending the past two seasons in Kearney, Neb., with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm, the fivefoot-nine, 170-pound, right-handed shot is in his freshman year at Boston College while studying business.
Ambrosio paced the Storm in points in his sophomore season in the USHL with 26 goals and 24 assists in 48 regular-season games. He had 12 goals and 12 assists in 57 games as a rookie in Tri-City.
Before moving to the USHL, the graduate of the Southern Tier Admirals triple-A organization spent two seasons in western New York playing for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres under-16 team.
Ambrosio was taken by the Ottawa 67’s in the fourth round of the 2018 OHL draft but chose to go to Tri-City after committing to Boston College.
He impressed scouts heading into the draft with his ability to make plays.
“Ambrosio really flourishes in the offensive zone. He’s particularly potent off the rush, where he combines lateral quickness with deliberate stickhandling manoeuvres to open up passing and shooting opportunities,” said an assessment in the Elite Prospects 2020 NHL Draft Guide.
IceDogs forward Cameron Butler and
Jake Uberti, both 18, went undrafted after going into the draft ranked 138th and 147th, respectively, among North American skaters.
In all, 217 players were selected in this year’s NHL draft, which was held entirely online because of COVID-19. It had originally been scheduled to take place June 2627 at Bell Centre in Montreal.
Gushchin, who played two seasons in Moscow before going to the United States at age 16, hopes to arrive in Canada sometime in November so he can be settled by the time IceDogs training camp at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines gets underway.