The 2025 NAHL Entry Draft was held on June 11 with the league’s 34 teams selecting players within the 2005-2009 birth years to prepare for the 2025-26 season and beyond.
The Northeast Generals are proud to welcome 11 new additions through the draft to the #GensFamily.
“Everyone loves their team after the draft. We’re excited to see what each of them can bring once they step on to the ice in Canton among all the other factors that go into a successful draft, but we’re definitely happy with how the day went,” said Generals Head Coach and GM, Bryan Erikson. “We were able to get players that will impact the Northeast Generals on the ice and in the community. We wanted to get more detail orientated and become a harder team to play against. A team that’s extremely hard on pucks and wins battles, and I think we did that today. We added skill up front but we also added a lot of high IQ players. On the backend we went for players with good size, heavy shots, and guys that make us better. My staff is amazing and I think they accomplished our goals today, we are a better team than before the day started”
The first name called by the Generals, 6th overall, was 2006-born forward Alec Hall.
Hall, from Plainview, NY, spent the 2024-25 season as a rookie with the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s (AJHL) Grande Prairie Storm, finishing 6th in league rookie scoring with 46 points (19g-27a). He added another 11 points (6g-5a) in 9 playoff games
“Alec and I have had a nice relationship for a little while. He played 18U hockey close by and came and skated with us a few times two years ago. We loved him. He had a great season in Canada and developed into an even more complete player. He’s smart, skilled and plays hard. The entire staff understood the assignment and getting Alec was a big part of our plan to start the draft off strong with a very good hard-working player that would come in and help set the identity of the team.”
The 6’0 181lbs right-shot forward was named to the AJHL North All Rookie team last year.
The Generals were without a second-round pick following a trade that brought Air Force Academy Commit Drew Dobbins to the Gens, but had a pair of third-round picks where they addressed their blueline taking two hulking defensemen.
With the 86th overall pick the Gens added 2005-born D-man Elias Pata, followed by 2006-born Talen McBride with the 91st overall pick.
Pata, from Nurnberg, Germany, is a 6’6, 225lbs force who will get his first taste of USA Junior-A Hockey having grown through the German and Swedish Junior Ranks. This past season he suited up for the Schwenninger ERC U20 program, leading his team in defensive scoring with 17 points (1g-16a) in 42 games.
McBride possesses equal size and strength. Standing at 6’5, 209lbs, the Westfield, IN product skated for The Frederick Gunn School in Connecticut’s Prep System, logging 33 games while adding 3 assists.
“Defense was a big need we felt. We were not where we wanted to be last year in any phases of the game. And we wanted to target some players that we feel could have a lot of success in the East Division. Both Elias and Talen are monsters of humans. They are both over 6’5, very good kids and nightmares on the ice. They play so hard and physical and will help us set the tone next year of being a team nobody wants to play.”
Following Pata, Coach Erikson and the Generals staff were nowhere near done selecting from across the pond, using their next three picks on internationals.
The Gens first started by selecting Mio Kjorstrad Oqvsit from Grums, SWE with the 123rd overall pick. Skating with Grums’ IK J20 program, the 5’11, 185lbs centreman led his team in goals, assists, and points finishing with 30 points (13g-17a) in 27 games, while also making the professional jump with Grums IK, adding another 5 points in 15 games.
In the 6th round, at 175 overall, the Gens are bringing Mio’s teammate from last season along with him, taking 2005-born defensemen William Hagenmarck.
Hagenmarck spent a little more time with the Grums IK professional club, collecting 6 points in 22 games, adding another 5 points in 21 games with the J20 team.
Finally, with the 209th overall pick, Denis Horsky from Zatec, CZE was selected. A 2006-born, left-shot forward, Horsky skated for the Nordic Hockey Academy U20 in Austria during the 2024-25 season, finishing 7th in team scoring with 26 points (8g-18a) in 38 games.
“As always, we looked overseas and added a few imports. We have a great network of international scouts. They did a fantastic job of identifying William, Mio and Dennis. All three, along with Elias, are vital to our success next season. It is tough to move across the world and start with a new team so we will be patient, but they all have experience at petty high international levels so we are hopeful they will catch on quick. We’re really looking forward to getting them comfortable here in Canton off and on the ice.”
In the 8th round the Gens selected a locally grown product from Massachusetts in 2006-born defensemen Stephan Fabiano from Charlestown. Fabiano has spent the last two seasons in Boston’s Belmont Hill School combining for 23 points (8g-15a) while sprinkling in 9 games with the East Coast Wizards U18 AAA program this past year adding 5 more assists.
Rounding out the final four picks for the Generals were 2007-born Anthony Pomarico and 2006-born Connor Noll in the 9th and 10th round, respectfully, followed by 2006-born Alex Elizarkov in the 11th and the captain of the Northeast Generals NA3HL team, Ryan Solari in the 12th round.
Pomarico, a 5’10, left-shot defenseman from Brentwood, NH, notched 15 points (1g-14a) in 31 games with the Winchendon School in the Massachusetts prep circuit.
Noll, a 6’0, left winger from Ridge, NY, picked up 7 points (5g-2a) in 27 games with Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut.
Elizarkov, a 6’1, right-shot defenseman from Boothbay Harbour, ME, split time between a pair of U18 AAA programs combining for 18 games and 7 points with the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks and Lovell Academy Blues.
Lastly, as aforementioned, Solari, from Kingston, MA, was the captain of this past year’s Northeast Generals NA3HL team where he added 24 points (10g-14a) in 38 games to go along with 142 PIMS.
The newly anointed Generals’ draft picks will now try and crack the Generals’ opening day roster starting with Main Camp taking pace at the Canton Ice House from July 14-16.
The Generals would like to welcome all of the 2025 draft picks to the community of Canton and the #GensFamily.