MONTREAL – The University of Denver hockey program had four student-athletes selected at the 2022 NHL Draft, as sophomore
Jack Devine and committed, incoming freshmen
Rieger Lorenz,
Miko Matikka and
Aidan Thompson were all chosen on Friday at Bell Centre.
Lorenz opened the draft for the Pioneers by being picked 56th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the second round before Matikka was chosen at No. 67 by the Arizona Coyotes and Thompson was taken 90th by the Chicago Blackhawks in the third round. Devine was selected at No. 221 in the seventh round by the Florida Panthers.
For the second-straight year, the Pioneers had three players picked in the first three rounds of the draft—tied for the most taken in the opening three rounds in program history (2021). Denver has now had 37 total players selected in the first three rounds of the draft, with sophomores
Shai Buium (No. 36),
Sean Behrens (No. 61) and
Carter Mazur (No. 70) being a part of last year's group.
Lorenz played the past two seasons with the Okotoks Oilers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and led the team in all three scoring categories in 2021-22, registering 38 goals, 47 assists and 85 points in 60 games. The 6-2, 192-pound forward also added a team-high 11 points (2g/9a) in 14 playoff contests and earned the AJHL's Rookie of the Year honor and was named the Canadian Junior Hockey League's Top Rookie last season. The Calgary, Alberta, native also represented Canada at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship this past spring, recording four assists in four games.
Matikka was the second pick of the third round and will join DU next season after playing for the Jokerit organization in his home country of Finland. The Helsinki native registered 33 points (19g/14a) in 30 regular-season games for Jokerit's U20 junior squad in 2021-22 and had 15 points (7g/8a) in 19 contests with the team in 2020-21. At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, the forward represented Finland at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship last year and picked up four points (1g/3a) in seven games.
Thompson, a native of Fort Collins, Colorado, skated for the Lincoln Stars the past two seasons and tallied 116 points (34g/82a) in 117 career games. The 5-11, 170-pound forward served as an alternate captain on the squad this past year and registered 24 goals and 58 assists in 57 outings, earning Second-Team USHL All-Star Team honors. A product of the Colorado Thunderbirds and Rocky Mountain Roughriders organizations, Thompson played two years of prep school at the Berkshire School in Massachusetts and was recognized as an All-New England First-Team member (West) in 2019-20 when he also led the team in scoring (20g/32a).
Devine helped the Pioneers capture the 2022 NCAA National Championship last season as the youngest player on the roster, having turned 18 years old just a week before the start of the regular season. The Glencoe, Illinois, native had four multi-point games during the 2021-22 campaign and finished with 19 points (3g/26a) in 37 outings. At 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, the forward registered an assist in the national title game against No. 1 Minnesota State on April 9 to help Denver win its record-tying ninth championship.
The Pioneers have now had at least one player chosen in each of the last 21 drafts (since 2002) and have had 126 total players selected in program history.
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