Robert Kirchner

(Dayton, Ohio)  On Wednesday evening, June 25, the Dayton Demonz of the Federal Hockey League (FHL) selected 4 players in the 2nd Annual College/Junior Hockey Draft.

The draft was conducted via phone between all 5 teams of the FHL.  The draft consisted of four-rounds, Danville, Watertown, Danbury, Dayton, and Southwest Pennsylvania picking in that order.  The order was determined by how the teams finished during the 2013-2014 season.  Although Danbury won the regular season championship, Dayton selected after Danbury as the Demonz defeated the Whalers for the Commissioner’s Cup.  The expansion team Southwestern Pennsylvania Magic had the final selection of each round.

Dayton was very successful in last year’s draft having all four players selected making the team after training camp, signing a contract and going on to win a championship with the Demonz.  Those players were Brett Wall, Len Pelletier, Jared Hicks, and Roger Tagoona who were instrumental in Dayton winning the Commissioner’s Cup.

On Wednesday night the Demonz selected three forwards and one defenseman with their 4 draft picks.  Dayton selected Wilson Dumais, 21, a 5-foot, 11-inch, 181 pound forward with their first pick.  Dumais played this past year for the OCN Blizzard of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), and the LA Ronge Ice Wolves of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL).

With their second pick the Demonz chose a defenseman, Dan Morin, 21, who stands 6-foot, 3-inches, weighing 214 pounds.  Morin played this past season for the Kirtland Lake Gold Miners of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL).

Forward, Steve McSwain, 21, was chosen 3rd by the Demonz.  The 5-foot, 8 inch, 181 pound McSwain played the past season for the Toronto Attack of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League.

With their fourth and final selection the Demonz chose Tom Tracy a forward who had just completed his four-year college career playing for NCAA Division III Framingham State University in Framingham, Massachusetts.  Tracy, 22, stands at 5-foot, 11-inches and weighs 174 pounds.

All four players will have the opportunity to try out for teams in the ECHL, Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL).  However, if they do get a roster spot in any of these leagues, their FHL rights belong to the Dayton Demonz.

With last year’s draft going so were for the Demonz, as they were the only FHL team to have all 4 players from the draft make the team and sign a contract, hopefully this crop of young players will help Dayton for another deep play-off run in the 2014-2015 season.