Fourteen players will get a chance to don the green and black of the Minnesota Wilderness after being selected by the Wilderness Wednesday in the 2024 NAHL Draft.
Wilderness draft selections were comprised of 11 forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender
Asanali Sarkenov of Astana, Kazakhstan, was the first to have his name called by the Wilderness. Sarkenov is a 2006 right winger who put up five points in four games for Kazakhstan’s U18 squad in the U18 World Championships. The Wilderness picked Sarkenov in the fourth round, 122 nd overall, after trading its selections in the first three rounds.
Sarkenov is one of three picks the Wilderness had in the fourth round. For the 123 rd overall selection, the Wilderness called Frantisek Netusil, a center from Prague, Czechia. Netusil is a 2007 center who spent 2023-24 with the New Jersey Rockets 16U AAA program, posting 44 goals and 61 assists for 105 points. Netusil is committed to play college hockey with Western Michigan University.
The Wilderness completed a busy 4 th round by selecting defenseman Charlie O’Connell. An Elgin, IL, native, O’Connell spent the last two seasons with the Chicago Reapers 18U AAA program. O’Connell generated 39 points in 50 games with the Reapers in 2023-24.
All 14 Wilderness 2024 draft selections will be invited to the team’s tryout camp set for July 14-18 at Northwoods Credit Union Arena in Cloquet.
Details on all Wilderness draft selections can be found below:
| Round | Pick # | Name | DOB | Position | Height/Weight |
Shoots/ |
Hometown | Last team |
| 4 | 122 | Asanali Sarkenov | 7/27/2006 | RW | 6’4″/198 lbs | L | Astana, KAZ | Snezhnye Barsy Nur-Sultan |
| 4 | 123 | Frantisek Netusil | 5/14/2007 | C | 6’/180 lbs | R | Prague, CZE | New Jersey Rockets 16U AAA |
| 4 | 127 | Charlie O’Connell | 2/15/2007 | D | 5’11″/168 lbs | L | Elgin, IL | Chicago Reapers 18U AAA |
| 6 | 192 | Simon Zille | 5/27/2005 | G | 6’/170 lbs | L | Trnava, SLV | Zilina Jr. |
| 7 | 216 | Zach Howard | 6/28/2006 | D | 5’11″/175 lbs | R | Brentwood, TN | Bishop Kearney Selects 18U |
| 7 | 227 | Lyndon Donald-Gorman | 2/24/2006 | RW | 5’10″/158 lbs | R | Edmonton, AB | Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL) |
| 8 | 262 | Noah Dziver | 5/15/2005 | RW | 5’10.5″/191 lbs | R | Winnipeg, MB | Coquitlam Express (BCHL) |
| 9 | 297 | Caleb Kim | 12/28/2007 | RW | 6’/155 lbs | R | Englewood, NJ | North Jersey Avalanche 16U AAA |
| 10 | 332 | Jaxon Grosdidier | 9/11/2004 | RW | 6’2″/195 lbs | R | Sioux Falls, SD | Utah Outliers (NCDC) |
| 11 | 367 | Brayden Kaldenbach | 8/23/2006 | D | 6’3″/190 lbs | L | Apple Valley, MN | Eastview HS |
| 12 | 402 | Landon Marleau | 10/16/2006 | C | 6’/180 lbs | L | Los Gatos, CA | SAHA U18 Prep |
| 13 | 437 | Brenden Espenell | 7/18/2007 | D | 6’2″/173 lbs | R | Winnipeg, MB | Sioux Falls Power 16U AAA |
| 14 | 472 | Jackson Froysland | 2/7/2006 | C | 5’11″/175 lbs | L | Byron Center, MI | Byron Center HS |
| 15 | 507 | Mason Czarnecki | 2/8/2005 | LW | 6’2″/190 lbs | L | Flint, MI | Bozeman Icedogs (NA3HL) |