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Following the news that Corpus Christi and Kansas City were opting out of the 2020-21 season, the North American Hockey League held a Dispersal Draft on Thursday, allowing the remaining teams to select from Corpus Christi’s and Kansas City’s rostered players.In the league-wide draft, the Bruins selected forwards Ryan Coughlin and Anton Jellvik to bolster their forward group heading into Orientation Camp which begins next week.

Coughlin, 19, spent his rookie season with the Corpus Christi Ice Rays last year putting up 32 points in 51 games played, which lead the way for the Ice Rays. Despite being his first year in juniors, Coughlin served as an assistant captain for the Ice Rays and committed to Robert Morris University (Division-I) in the process. The Rochester, NY, native, came to Corpus Christi last season after three seasons with the Selects Academy AAA program. Though originally drafted by the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the 2018 USHL Draft, the 6-foot-1, 185-pounder found his footing in the NAHL last season with Corpus Christi and due to his success will begin the 2020-21 season in the USHL.

“Ryan will be starting in the USHL and we might not get him,” said head coach Steve Howard, “But it’s a risk we were willing to take, just to own his rights. Ryan is a top-line forward at the NAHL level and we were shocked that we were able to select him.”

Following the Corpus Christi Dispersal, the Bruins selected Anton Jellvik in the Kansas City Scouts section of the draft. Jellvik, 19, will begin his first season in North America this season following a lifelong career in his native Sweden. The 5-foot-9, 163-pound, Jellvik spent the last four seasons playing for the Malmö Redhawks J18 and J20 squads. With the J20 team in the SuperElit league, Sweden’s highest junior hockey league, Jellvik tallied 47 points in 84 games.

“Thanks to former Rochester Grizzlies goaltender Mathias Backstrom, we were able to have a great conversation with Anton”, said Howard. “He’s a very skilled forward that was close to a point per game in Sweden and our whole staff is excited to have been able to select both Anton and Ryan.”