NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Four talented Wisconsin men's hockey players earned selection at the 2023 NHL Draft that wrapped up on Thursday from Bridgestone Arena.Â
Rising sophomore forward and Rosemount, Minnesota, native
Charlie Stramel (pronounced STRAY-muhl) was picked by his hometown Minnesota Wild on Wednesday evening with the No. 21 overall pick to become the 18th all-time first-round draft pick from Wisconsin.
Stramel was the first Badger chosen by the Wild since Luke Kunin was picked 15th overall in 2016.
Three more Badgers were chosen on Day 2 on Thursday.
Wausau, Wisconsin, native Brady Cleveland went the earliest on the second day, getting picked in the second round at No. 47 overall to the Detroit Red Wings. The defenseman, from the U.S. National Team Development Program, joins current Badger forward
Sam Stange as a member of the Red Wings organization. Stange was a fourth-round pick in 2020.
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Rosemount, Minnesota's William Whitelaw went early in the third round to the Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 66. A member of the USHL Clark Cup champion Youngstown Phantoms this past year, Whitelaw scored 36 goals and 61 points in 62 games to rank third among league rookies. He ranked fourth in the playoffs among all skaters with five goals and nine points in nine games.
Whitelaw marks the first Badger since 2021 to go to Columbus when defenseman
Corson Ceulemans was picked in the first round at No. 25 overall.
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Finally, South Lyon, Michigan, native Zach Schulz got picked by the New York Islanders in the sixth round at No. 177. Like Whitelaw and Stramel, Schulz is a recent invite to the 2023 World Junior Summer Showcase. The defenseman comes to the Badgers from the U.S. National Team Development Program.
Schulz joins fellow incoming freshman Quinn Finley as an Islanders draft pick. Finley, a forward, was picked in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft as the No. 78 pick overall.
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All-time, 177 Wisconsin men's hockey players have been choosen in the NHL draft.
The new era of Wisconsin men's hockey under head coach
Mike Hastings begins Oct. 7-8 at the Kohl Center brand-new NCAA Division I program Augustana.
