Former NCDC Rockets Hockey Club defenseman Anthony Allain-Samake has been ranked 75th among North American Skaters in the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term rankings, released on Jan. 14. The United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) proudly celebrates this achievement as another testament to its player development success.
Allain-Samake, a 2007-born native of Gatineau, Que., played in 47 games with the Rockets’ NCDC team in the 2023-24 season, during which he committed to the University of Connecticut, where he is currently set to play in 2025-26. Generally, players ranked in the third round of North American Skater Mid-Term rankings project as fourth-or fifth-round selections in the draft.
The 2025 NHL Entry Draft will be held in late June 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif. Allain-Samake is currently playing for the Sioux City Musketeers in the United States Hockey League, where he has registered 12 assists over 35 games. Allain-Samake was drafted into the USHL in the 2024 USHL Draft.
USPHL / NCDC at NHL Entry Draft
There have been a total of 58 former USPHL Junior and/or Midget players drafted by NHL teams since the USPHL’s 2013-14 inaugural season.
- 18 former NCDC players have been selected in the NHL Entry Draft since the USPHL’s highest tier junior league opened its first season in 2017-18.
- Two USPHL Premier alumni have been selected in the NHL Entry Draft in the current format of the USPHL Premier since 2022. No other league of its kind has had any draft picks since 2019.
- The NCDC saw an all-time high of three players selected directly from the NCDC in 2020-21, which was also the most of any league of its kind in 2021.
USPHL Alumni In National Hockey League
- Drew O’Connor became the first NCDC alum to make the National Hockey League in 2020-21 and has remained a regular in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup since that season, playing in 165 games to date (Oct. 24). O’Connor played in the NCDC for the Boston Junior Bruins.
- There have been a total of 10 players from the USPHL junior leagues that have made the NHL, including four currently active players (Drew O’Connor, John Marino, Ryan Donato, Joey Daccord).
- There were a total of 27 alumni advancements to the NHL from the former USPHL Midget Divisions (now operated by the Tier 1 Hockey Federation), including 12 active NHL players.
- There were a total of 56 players with USPHL ties who attended 2024 NHL Development Camps.
About The United States Premier Hockey League
Founded in 2012, the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) is comprised of over 150 teams, fielding more than 20,000 players aged 9-21 in more than 100 organizations across the North, South, Midwest, West, and Canada. Our Junior Divisions consist of the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) and our Premier and Elite Divisions, all geared toward college and pro placement.
Our youth and midget divisions (operated through the Tier 1 Hockey Federation) field full season 9U through 18U teams. The USPHL has sent over 8,000 players to all levels of college hockey all-time including over 3,700 into NCAA college hockey, with more than 550 advancing to NCAA Division I hockey. The USPHL has also had 18 players who played in the NCDC drafted by NHL teams.
