Donning a National Hockey League jersey may still be a ways off, but Middle Tennessee product Ben Schultheis recently took the next step in his journey to becoming a professional hockey player.
Mt. Juliet native Ben Schultheis was drafted by the Green Bay Gamblers in last month’s USHL draft.
The Mt. Juliet native, recently departed for Plymouth, Mich., where he is prepping for his first junior hockey league camp later this month in Green Bay, Wis.
“It has been good,” said Schultheis, a 16-year-old defenseman who was taken by the Green Bay Gamblers with the 14th pick in the fourth round of last month’s United States Hockey League draft. “I’m just trying to get ready for USHL camp and starting to play against opponents that are going to be on my team next year, so it’s been good just training this summer.”
Schultheis, who played for the Thunder AAA Hockey Club in Nashville for the previous two seasons, was the first player from Tennessee drafted by the USHL, the nation’s only Tier 1 junior hockey league.
Other Midstate products picked in the USHL draft include Brentwood native Luke Robinson (Des Moines Buccaneers), Hendersonville native and New Hampshire commitment Lucas Bahn (Waterloo Black Hawks) and Brentwood native Andrew Sinard (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders).
“The USHL is the top junior hockey league in the country, so I’m really excited,” said Schultheis, who attended Father Ryan High School and was the state’s lone representative at the Team USA Under 17 National Team Development Program earlier this year. “It has produced a ton of NHL players and something like 98 percent of the players have made a college commitment, so it’s very high-level hockey.“
The USHL hasn’t yet released its schedule, but the season typically runs from September to April.
Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports.
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