Watertown, SD — The Watertown Shamrocks are set to embark on their sophomore season in just a few months time, and ahead of that, the organization is preparing for the North American Hockey League Draft set to begin on June 10th and 11th.
A year ago, the Shamrocks were one of three expansion organizations, and selected Travis Lefere with the first overall pick of the draft. This year, the Shamrocks currently hold the fifth overall selection of the NAHL Entry Draft set for June 11th.
“In the entry draft, we are looking for players who we believe can contribute to the success of our team in the coming season,” said Shamrocks head coach and general manager Casey Kirley. “There are ten players on our current roster who are on USHL rosters to start the coming season, so we have many holes to fill, both through the draft process and free agency following the draft.”
Along with the fifth overall selection, the Shamrocks also hold picks in the second round (39th overall), sixth round (174th overall), and then the seventh round and beyond until the teams roster has reached 30 total players. The official roster is comprised of returning veteran players who remain on the teams protected list and any players that have signed a tender agreement over the course of the season. For example, if a team has 13 veterans and eight tenders (21 total), that team is allowed nine draft picks.
“When we look at the draft, we want players who compete, take ownership of their development, and want to advance to higher levels,” Kirley added. “The players who were in Watertown this past season all shared those characteristics, as evidenced by there being 13 players who suited up for the Shamrocks that are now on USHL rosters and 12 that have college commitments, including seven to NCAA Division 1 schools.”
New to the NAHL Draft process this year is the NAHL Futures Draft taking place on June 10th. Each team will also be given two selections in the Futures Draft that can only be used on 2009 born players. Following the draft, selected players will be automatically added to their team’s USA Hockey Affiliate Player List for the 2025-26 season. This special status allows players to participate in up to 10 NAHL games without being added to the team’s official Protected List.
“The futures draft gives teams the opportunity to add two young players to our affiliate list,” Kirley said of the draft’s new addition. “In adding these players to our affiliate lists, it provides them exposure to and prepares them for when they are ready to be full-time junior players.”
Teams will hold exclusive rights to their Futures Draft picks through March 10, 2026. If a drafted player has not been added to the team’s official Protected List or signed to an NAHL tender agreement by that date, the player becomes a free agent and is eligible to sign a tender agreement with any team in the NAHL.
Fans can follow along coverage during the draft on all of the Shamrocks social media pages to stay up to date on the latest selections. Both drafts are free to stream on NAHLTV.com with the Futures Draft beginning at 1:00 PM CST on Tuesday and the Entry Draft starting at the same time the following day.