Dubuque, IA — The Dubuque Fighting Saints completed Phase I of the 2023 USHL Draft on May 2nd, making nine total selections in addition to their earlier tender of forward Liam Kilfoil.

The Fighting Saints opened the draft selecting forward Cooper Dennis from Bishop Kearney Selects 15's with the 17^th overall selection. The Ithaca, NY native netted 59 goals and produced 124 points in 83 games. Dennis is highly regarded by the Fighting Saints scouting and hockey operations staff. Even outside of Dubuque, Dennis was a highly thought of prospect entering this years USHL draft.

"Our staff has widely considered Dennis to be one of the premier offensive talents in the age group," said Director of Scouting Dan Shrader. "We were positively thrilled when he was there with our first pick in the second round of Phase I."

Shrader shared with us his full break down of Dennis as a player and peels back the curtains on how scouts take a look at potential prospects. Some of Shrader's comments in this story have been edited for clarity.

Dennis will be in town next month for 2023 Main Camp, running June 13-16. Fans can come check out Dennis and several other Saints draft picks at camp this summer FREE of charge. Each week leading up to Main Camp, Shrader will be sharing a break down of one of our draft selections.

Dennis was one of the best offensive talents available in the draft. Playing at the AAA level with Bishop Kearney, Dennis was the 7th leading scorer in the country with 113 total points. His offensive ability is showcased not only through his high-end shot that produced the 8th most goals in the country (53), but he also has playmaking skill as well. He finished inside the top 10 in the country in assists as well.

"Dennis has an explosive shot," said Shrader. "It comes off hard and crisp and it really allows him to beat goalies cleanly, even if the shot comes from a bad angle. Outside of his clear skills shooting the puck, Dennis has showed skill in finding passing lanes. His ability to shoot the puck draws the attention of defenders and it opens up passing lanes for him to find. His shot, in combination with his ability to move the puck, makes him a big threat off the rush."

Dennis does come in slightly undersized at 5'5" and 141 lbs, but he still has plenty of room and time to grow - he just turned 16 in early May. Size set aside, Dennis has learned how to play at a high level despite his smaller frame.

"He does things that offset his size," Shrader added. "He's able to be elusive and slippery in small spaces due to his quick edge work and agility, but he also finds ways to fight through checks. He's able to play inside of traffic and can initiate contact himself sometimes to gain leverage over a defender."

"He is an explosive offensive talent, but he also has a relentless determination that we look for in potential Saints players. He has a terrific motor and a willingness to go into the hard areas and compete for pucks. We love that he finds ways to be effective even if he doesn't get on the score sheet."

With the Fighting Saints tendering Kilfoil and their haul of Phase II draft selections, Dennis may still be a year out from donning a Fighting Saints sweater, but ultimately that's up to him and the coaching staff and certainly not up to this writer. But the excitement that Dennis brings to the ice is undeniable. So looking to the future, where does Dennis fit?

"He shows promise playing up the middle," Shrader said. "We can see a point in time where we potentially have Kilfoil and Dennis playing together - Dennis himself said he's excited for that possibility and anchoring the Saints' offensive attack."