MIDDLETOWN, NJ – The Garden State’s North American Hockey League (NAHL) affiliate, New Jersey Junior Titans, secured 13 forwards in the 2020 NAHL entry draft, but their top selection, Ryan MacDermott, will help fortify the blue line.
The Titans, who closed the COVID-19 shortened 2019-20 campaign atop the Eastern Division with a record of 38-13-0, used their 24th overall selection on MacDermott, an 18-year old Norwell, MA native.
MacDermott played his prep hockey with St. Sebastian’s School, a program that has produced collegiate and professional talent like Rick DiPietro, Brian Boyle and Noah Hanifin.
United States Hockey League (USHL) scout for the Omaha Lancers and contributor to the Northeast Hockey Journal and SB Nation College Hockey, Jeff Cox, described McDermott in a as a two-way contributor “…who can join the rush.”
Of his defensive prowess, Cox noted in a 2017 article that “(McDermott) defends with his feet and skates backward with the opposition’s top forwards.”
Titans Head Coach and General Manager, Craig Doremus, spoke to McDermott’s athleticism, size and cerebral approach to the game while providing post-draft comments to the Shore Hockey Report.
“Ryan is a big, strong right-handed shot, and you can see the maturity in his game,” said Doremus, who was named the NAHL Eastern Division’s General Manager of the Year in 2020. “We believe he can step in and play a big role right away.”
In 2019, MacDermott was selected in the USHL’s entry draft by the Waterloo Blackhawks, and again by the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the QMJHL American Draft. This past winter the skilled pivot captained his St. Sebastian’s School club to a record of 17-10-1, while posting a career high 13 points (2g, 11a).
“We really like where our defensive core is right now and we’re excited to add Ryan to that mix,” Doremus said, following an off-season in which first-year Titans blue liner Brad Zona was named to the All-East Division Rookie Team, before Doremus traded for veteran NAHL defenseman Matt Doyle and signed Loomis Chaffee Prep School product Ben Ritter to a tender contract. “We think our group as a whole is extremely talented and deep.”
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