By Warren Kozireski–(Pictured Tyler Madden, USA Hockey Photo)–
Cicero native Joel Farabee, Albany’s Tyler Madden and Rye product Adam Samuelsson are among the top 220 North American Skaters eligible for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft to be held in Dallas June 22-23.
Farabee, who dropped from 11th in the midterm rankings to 12th, scored 27 goals and 64 points in 54 games with the U.S. National Development Program in Plymouth, Michigan. The 5’11” 162 lb. left wing and Boston University commit played the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons with the Selects Hockey Academy 16U team in the USPHL before being accepted into the national program.
The projected first round selection is a dynamic offensive player with speed as you might expect with his size.
Madden moved up ten spots from 49 at midterm to 39 in the final list. The Northeastern University commit is toiling for the Tri-City Storm in the USHL after being traded earlier this season from Central Illinois after 18 games.
The son of former 11-plus year NHLer and three-time Stanley Cup champion and now head coach of the Cleveland Monsters in the American Hockey League John Madden, the 5’11”, 152 lb. center is also known for his speed and was chosen as part of the World Junior A Challenge. He tallied 34 points in 50 games this season.
Samuelsson is the son of former NHL defenseman Ulf Samuelsson as you can tell from his 6’5”, 240 lb. frame. The defenseman fell from 66th among North American skaters at midterm to 77th in the final rankings and is a Boston College recuit.
He was a teammate of Farabee’s with the U.S. National Development Program where he had four goals with 20 assists and 86 penalty minutes though 54 games this season. As with many bigger players, his skating is a question mark and may push him into the fourth round or later.
East Aurora native Gabriel Blanchard is a defenseman who played this season with the Mid-Fairfield Rangers in the New England Prep league where he netted five goals and ten points in 22 contests. His junior rights are owned by Waterloo in the USHL, but has made no college commitments as of this writing.
He also played in the Buffalo area for Bishop-Timon and the Buffalo Regals 16U squads.
At 6’0” and 181 lb. he was ranked 215th among North American skaters at midterm, but he dropped off the final rankings list.
