USHL

Ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft, the USHL will highlight each of its Member Clubs top NHL Draft prospects.

Waterloo Black Hawks defenseman Sam Rinzel leads his team into the 2022 NHL Draft after being ranked 19th among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting in the service's Final Rankings. The University of Minnesota commit recorded 10 points (2-8-10) in 21 games in his first regular season in the USHL before appearing in six Clark Cup Playoffs games for the Black Hawks. Rinzel had a pair of multi-point games, including a goal and an assist in his debut on November 12, 2021. The Chanhassen, Minn. native finished the regular season on a three-game point streak (1-2-3) and had a point in four of his last five appearances. Rinzel also skated 27 games for Chaska High, picking up 38 pints (9-29-38) from the blue line. The defenseman was in attendance at this summer's NHL Scouting Combine.

"Sam is a dynamic player with exceptional tools and talent," said Waterloo Black Hawks Head Coach Matt Smaby. "We are really looking forward to working with Sam in 2022-23 as he continues to develop into a dominant USHL defenseman."

Waterloo has had multiple Draft picks in nine of the last 10 NHL Drafts, for a total of 28 picks. Both Ryder Rolston (Chicago Blackhawks - 139th Overall) and Wyatt Schingoethe (Toronto Maple Leafs - 195th Overall) were selected in the 2020 NHL Draft. If Rinzel is selected in the First Round, he would join a trio of Black Hawks before him including Brock Boeser (Vancouver Canucks - 23rd Overall) in 2015, Peter Ferraro (New York Rangers - 24th Overall) in 1992 and Shane Bowers (Ottawa Senators - 28th Overall) in 2017.

Fellow 2021-22 Black Hawks Adam Cardona (defenseman) and Gavin O'Connell (forward) were listed as 174th and 178th, respectively in the Final Rankings. Goaltender Emmett Croteau was ranked 10th among North American goaltenders. Former Waterloo skaters David Gucciardi (defenseman) and Michael LaStarza (forward) were ranked 57th and 91st, respectively, among North American Skaters in the Final Rankings. This season's Black Hawks Owen Baker (forward) and Patrick Geary (defensemen) were listed as C-Rated skaters on the Preliminary List, as was former Waterloo forward Matthew Argentina.

The USHL has had 50-or-more players Drafted in each of the last four NHL Drafts, dating back to a league-best 57 players at the 2018 Draft. The League has seen 933 of its players selected in total, with at least one player taken in each Draft but one dating back to 1981.

Matthew Argentina * (Forward) - 2019-21 
Owen Baker (Forward) - 2020-22 
Carter Batchelder (Forward) - 2020-22 
Ben Brunette (Defenseman) - 2021-22 
Adam Cardona (Defenseman) - 2021-22 
Jonah Copre * (Defensmean) - 2020-21 
Emmett Croteau (Goaltender) - 2020-22 
Ray Fust (Forward) - 2021-22 
Alex Gaffney * (Forward) - 2020-21 
Patrick Geary (Defenseman) - 2021-22 
David Gucciardi * (Defenseman) - 2020-21 
Cole Hansen * (Forward) - 2020-21 
Jacob Jeannette (Forward) - 2019-22 
Michael LaStarza (Forward) - 2020-22 
Gavin Lindberg (Forward) - 2021-22 
Zach Michaelis * (Forward) - 2020-21, 2018-19 
Dane Montgomery * (Froward) - 2018-21 
Tucker Ness (Defenseman) - 2020-22 
Gavin O'Connell (Forward) - 2021-22 
Tyler Procious (Defenseman) - 2021-22 
Sam Rinzel (Defenseman) - 2021-22 
Jake Rozzi (Forward) - 2020-22 
David Saaco * (Forward) - 2020-21 
Daniel Sambuco (Forward) - 2021-22 
Garrett Schifsky (Forward) - 2020-22 
Jake Schneider (Forward) - 2021-22 
Conner Schneider (Forward) - 2021-22 
Tucker Shedd (Defenseman) - 2021-22 
Jakub Tichy (Goaltender) - 2021-22 
Cam VanSickle (Forward) - 2021-22 
John Waldron (Forward) - 2018-22 
Nicky Wallace (Defenseman) - 2020-21