JOHNSTOWN, PA – The next generation of Johnstown hockey began to take shape on Wednesday, June 10th as the Johnstown Tomahawks made 11 selections in the 2026-27 NAHL Entry Draft, bringing in a diverse group of skaters from the United States, Canada, and Belarus.
The Tomahawks were one of 14 teams to make 11 or more selections in the draft, five of them also coming from within the East Division. New Hampshire and New Jersey each led the East with 15 picks, Northeast and Elmira had 14, and the defending Robertson Cup Champion Maryland Black Bears matched Johnstown with 11. The Philadelphia Rebels had just seven picks but had the highest overall of the East Division with the sixth overall pick in the 1st round, where they took forward Noel Nyberg from Sweden.
“We are extremely pleased with how our 2026 Draft unfolded,” said Gary Biggs, President of Hockey Operations for the Johnstown Tomahawks. “Our staff entered the draft with a clear vision of adding highly-skilled players who can make plays, score goals, and ultimately help us compete for a Robertson Cup Title. We believe we accomplished that by securing a strong mix of players with veteran experience and younger players with high ceilings. The game continues to evolve, and players with hard skill, offensive creativity, and the ability to generate scoring chances continue to be invaluable. This draft class reflects the identity we want our team to have moving forward, and we are excited about what these players can bring to the Tomahawks organization.”
Kaden Sienko (RD3, #81) – After waiting for three rounds and 80+ picks, the Hawks’ made their first selection, taking right-shot defenseman Kaden Sienko at 81st overall. Sienko skated in 37 games last season with the Chatham Maroons of the GOJHL in Canada. The sturdy 6’2″ 190lb defenseman contributed 23 points (8G, 15A) from the backend and added 54 PIM. Sienko also brings some OHL experience into Johnstown, skating in four games last season with the Saginaw Spirit.
Nikita Lagodko (RD4, #112) – The Hawks’ didn’t have to wait quite as long to make their second selection, drafting 6’1″ 187lb forward =Nikita Lagodko from the Pittsburgh Stars AAA about 40 picks later. The highly-skilled Belarusian forward played 59 games for the Stars last season, scoring well over a point per game with 88 points (50G, 38A). Scoring 50 goals at or above the AAA level is remarkably impressive. The big bodied forward will look to earn his way into the Johnstown lineup and contribute offensively this season.
Blake Cash (RD6, #174) – Another 60 picks made their way off the board and the Tomahawks decided to dip back into the forward pool, selecting 2008 5’6″ 135lb centreman Blake Cash from Cushing Academy (USHS-Prep). The Tomahawks have had success in bringing in Cushing-bred players as of late, the two most recent being forward Alex Gomes, and 25′-26′ OPOY Emerson Marshall. Cash skated in 33 games with Cushing last season where he recorded 31 points (17G, 14A). The New Hampshire native committed to the University of New Hampshire (NCAA DI) back in September of 2024.
Colin Bickell (RD7, #206) – Next, the Tomahawks selected 07′ forward Colin Bickell with their early pick in the seventh round. Bickell’s stats certainly jump off the page, as he registered 114 points (68G, 46A) in just 72 games for Top Speed Hockey Academy in the East Coast Elite League (TIER1) who play out of Massachusetts. Colin stands at 5’10”, weighing 168lbs and is a Pennsylvania native, hailing from Narberth, PA. Bickell will come into camp with an offensive prowess that hopes to turn heads.
Dominic Szczygiel (RD8, #238) – Starting to have a couple picks in quicker succession now, the Hawks’ found themselves back on the clock and selected a fourth straight forward in 07′ Dominic Szczygiel. The balanced center skated in 45 games last season with the Prince George Spruce Kings in the British Columbia Hockey League. Dom is a true 200-foot player who tallied 19 points (9G, 10A) in 45 games in a highly competitive BCHL while recording just six PIM.
Nick Dias (RD9, #270) – The Tomahawks wrapped up the 9th round by selecting 5’10” 185lb, 07′ left-winger Nick Dias. Dias comes from the Brooks School (USHS-Prep) where he recorded 16 points (8G, 8A) through 25 games played last season. The second New Hampshire native of the draft for the Hawks’ hails from Nashua and will look to crack an already crowded forward group for Johnstown.
Issac Dibble (RD10, #302) – With the draft beginning to reach its latter stages, the Hawks’ took a shot on Johnstown local, 2007 5’7″ 150lb forward Issac Dibble. Dibble attended Forest Hills High School for three years from 2022-25′ which is about 15 minutes from the 1st Summit Arena, and quickly began to outscore his competition by a large margin, scoring 50 goals and 79 points in 24′-25′. Wanting to further challenge himself, Issac made the jump to Michigan AAA hockey, playing for Honeybaked, where he continued a high-level of production recording 45 points (23G, 22A) in 54 games last season. In the history of the Tomahawks organization there’s been several cases of local talent getting their opportunity, and it’s always such a unique story. It will be interesting to see if Issac can handle the inevitable pressure to start and eventually make the most of his opportunity, earning a role on this team.
Conner Maione (RD11, #334) – Capping off seven-straight forward selections, the Hawks’ took their most physically impressive player of the draft in Conner Maione. The 2008 born left-winger stands at 6’5″ 190lb, providing an archetype from a forward that is not only rare to the game of hockey, but to the 15 years of Tomahawk lineups. Maione played 53 games last season with the Nichols School (USHS-Prep), registering a whopping 56 points (33G, 23A). Anytime a player can combine their gift of size and athleticism with a point-per-game scoring touch, it tends to become a coaches dream (i.e. Evgeni Malkin, Tage Thompson, Mario Lemieux). Conner will be a name to keep an eye on over the next couple of years, as he looks to make a high-level impact after getting drafted towards the end of the draft.
Patrick Sweeney (RD12, #366) – The Tomahawks then added a somewhat familiar face in 25′-26′ tender Patrick Sweeney who was around the team a good amount for the backend of the season last year. The 5’10” 168lb defenseman just finished up his third season with Philadelphia Hockey Club where he recorded nine points (2G, 7A) in 18 games from the blue line. Sweeney, another PA native will come in hungry and knowledgeable with his prior experience last season and looks to be ready to make a jump.
Jake Merens (RD13, #398) – The Tomahawks then added a skilled, quick forward in 06′ Jake Merens after selecting him with their penultimate pick of the draft, late in round 13. The 5’10” 170lb winger brings a quick offensive game and has shown the ability to create separation through speed and strong edge work. Merens has spent a ton of time developing in both the NAHL and USHL. Back in 23′-24′ he put up strong numbers with the Janesville Jets scoring 37 points in 53 games, followed by 60 games in the USHL in part with the Muskegon Lumberjacks and most recently with the Sioux Falls Stampede. The Highland Park, Illinois native is committed to the Ohio State University and if he happens to make his way into the Tomahawks lineup, he could prove to be a late gem home run.
Cooper Palazzolo (RD14, #430) – The Tomahawks closed out their draft by selecting 07′ forward Cooper Palazzolo, adding another skilled piece to finish off the class. The 5’10″ 200lb winger brings a quick, offensive-minded game and has the ability to create opportunities with pace, especially when attacking off the rush and getting to open ice in the offensive zone. Palazzolo has continued to develop at his current level, most recently with the St. Louis Jr. Blues of the NA3HL. The Missouri native recorded 12 points (3G, 9A) through 42 games last season.
Tomahawks first year Head Coach Geoff Beauparlant reflected on the draft and the work put in behind the scenes, saying “Each year there is a lot of work that goes into the draft process from our entire scouting staff. We felt that we identified players that fit the mold of being a Tomahawk. We would like to thank Bishop McCort High School for hosting us and providing a great setup for our draft war room. We’re excited to see the high levels of competition at next month’s main tryout and get our first look at this group on the same ice”.
BY: DREW P. PFEIL