LAS VEGAS – After a pair of first round selections on Friday night, two more North Dakota products were selected on the final day of the 2024 NHL Draft on Saturday from The Sphere in Las Vegas.
 
With the four total selections, UND has eclipsed 200 all-time draft picks in program history to become only the second college hockey program to reach that number. NoDak also had three picks in the first 76 picks (Sacha Boisvert, EJ Emery and Will Zellers) for the first time since 2005.
 
The day was highlighted by the selection of Will Zellers in the third round (76th overall) by the Colorado Avalanche. Zellers, who will likely come to North Dakota for the 2025-26 season, is coming off a monster offensive season with Shattuck St. Mary's, where he potted 57 goals and 54 assists for 111 points in just 54 games. He also scored five goals and seven points in five contests at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup for Team USA.
 
In the seventh round, incoming forward Mac Swanson was selected 207th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins to become UND's fourth selection of the weekend. The Anchorage, Alaska, native was showered with accolades after last season with Fargo in the USHL, earning the league's player of the year, forward of the year, playoff most valuable player and a first team selection after finishing with 77 points in 55 games. On the international stage, Swanson appeared on the 2023 U.S. Junior Select Team that finished third at the 2023 World Junior A Challenge in Truro, Nova Scotia, in December. He led all skaters at the tournament with nine assists and tied for a Team USA lead with 11 points in six games. He also was selected to participate at the 2024 Chipotle All-American Game in January.
 
UND Selections at 2024 NHL Draft:
Sacha Boisvert, Chicago, 1st Round (18th)
EJ Emery, New York Rangers, 1st Round (30th)
Will Zellers, Colorado, 3rd Round (76th)
Mac Swanson, Pittsburgh, 7th Round (207th)
 
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