Cats Select Six Players Over Two Days In Virtual Draft
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Saturday, July 24, 2021
SUNRISE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers selected five players during day two of the 2021 National Hockey League Draft.
Florida selected defenseman Evan Nause in the second round (56th overall), defenseman Vladislav Lukashevich in the fourth round (120th overall), goaltender Kirill Gerasimyuk in the fifth round (152nd overall), forward Jakub Kos in the sixth round (184th overall), and defenseman Braden Haché in the seven round (210th overall).
Nause, 18, appeared in 32 games with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 2020-21, leading all QMJHL rookie defensemen with 18 assists and 22 points (4-18-22). He posted two points (1-1-2) over six QMJHL postseason games.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound native of White Rock, British Columbia skated in 44 games with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League (USHL) in 2019-20, ranking second among the team’s defense corps with 14 assists and 17 points (3-14-17).
He is committed to the University of Minnesota (NCAA) for the 2021-22 season.
Lukashevich, 18, appeared in 36 games with Loko Yaroslavl in Russia’s top junior league (MHL), recording 19 points (3-16-19). His 16 assists and 19 points led all Loko Yaroslavl defensemen and were tied for the most by a U18 defenseman in the MHL.
The 6-foot-2, 159-pound native of Magadan, Russia has amassed 25 points (5-20-25) over 72 career MHL contests with Loko Yaroslavl from 2019-20 to 2020-21.
On the international stage, Lukashevich earned a Gold Medal with Russia at the 2019 U17 World Hockey Challenge, registering four points (1-3-4) over six games.
Gerasimyuk, 17, appeared in five games for SKA-Neva (VHL) in 2020-21, posting a .913 save percentage and 2.66 goals against average. Over 27 games with SKA-Varyagi (MHL), he recorded a 14-13-0 record, a .931 save percentage and 2.59 save percentage.
The 6-foot-2, 179-pound native of St. Petersburg, Russia registered a .916 save percentage and 1.80 save percentage over 17 games with SKA St. Petersburg’s U17 team in 2019-20.
On the international stage, Gerasimyuk earned a Silver Medal representing Russia at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship.
Kos, 18, appeared in 32 games with Ilves U20 in Finland’s SM-sarja in 2020-21, recording 18 points (5-13-18).
The 6-foot-2, 187-pound native of Brno, Czech Republic has amassed 36 points (9-27-36) over 65 games with Ilves U20 from 2019-20 to 2020-21. In 2018-29, he led the Czech Republic’s U16 league with 47 goals and 82 points (47-35-82) over 33 games for HC Kometa Brno.
On the international stage, Kos represented the Czech Republic at the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship, producing two points (1-1-2) over five games.
Haché, 18, appeared in 29 games with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2019-20, recording five assists. The OHL did not hold a season in 2020-21.
The 6-foot-3, 201-pound native of Manchester, N.H. earned an Ontario Minor Hockey Association Bronze Medal with the York Simcoe Express of the Eastern AAA Hockey League in 2018-19, registering 11 points (2-9-11) over 26 games.
The Panthers selected six players in total over the two days. Florida selected forward Mackie Samoskevich in the first round (24th overall) during Day 1 of the NHL Draft. The Panthers held Day 1 of the NHL Draft from the Lauderdale Yacht Club in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
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With construction now fully underway, the Florida Panthers’ FTL War Memorial Auditorium will debut in 2022 as the team’s new state-of-the-art practice facility and a vibrant sports, entertainment, and community recreation hub in Fort Lauderdale’s Holiday Park. The revitalized community destination will continue to serve as an honored tribute to local military heroes. For the latest updates, visit www.ftlwarmemorial.com and follow @FTLWarMemorial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
-PANTHERS-
