Pittsburgh, PA - Pittsburgh-based Esmark Stars AAA Hockey Club has announced that three members of the 2021-22 Stars U16 squad were selected in the 2022 National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) Entry draft. held on Wednesday, May 11.

Esmark players elected in the 2022 NCDC Entry draft included: Nikita Konevych, defenseman, (selected 5th in the second round, 19th overall), New Hampshire Monarchs; Ian Amaranto, goaltender, (selected 1st in the fifth round), Islanders Hockey Club; and Billy Kiray III, forward, (selected 1st in the 17th round), Islanders Hockey Club.

All three players skated for the U16 Esmark Stars during the 2021-22 season, under the direction of Head Coach Yuri Krivokhija.

Amaranto and Kiray were both selected at tryouts to Esmark's U18 team for the 2022-23 season, while the 16 year-old Konevych is slated to return to Esmark's U16 team for the upcoming season.

The NCDC is a 14-team tuition-free Junior A hockey league, located in the Northeastern United States. is a member of the  United States Premier Hockey League.

Similar to the NHL's Entry Draft, NCDC teams use the draft to help build towards future years teams. Players born between 2005 and 2006 were eligible to be drafted in the 2022 NCDC's Entry draft.

“The idea behind the NCDC Draft is that our clubs are looking long term at younger players," said Commissioner Bob Turow.

"With many of the selected players being from outside of our league footprint, it allows us to better inform players about the benefits of the our Tier II Tuition-Free NCDC and our pathway to college hockey,” Turow added.