UNH Freshman Picked by Tampa Bay in NHL Draft

A UNH freshman hockey player was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL draft on Saturday.

Defenseman Alex Gagne, a graduate of Bedford High School's Class of 2020 was selected in the sixth round of the draft as the 192nd overall pick. He'll officially become a Wildcat this coming school year after playing with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL during the 2020-21 season.

Gagne scored three goals and 23 assists for 26 points over 53 games.

He'll be the only freshman Granite Stater for the Wildcats in the upcoming season.

Gagne was also a member of the New Hampshire Avalanche while in high school.

Steve Kournianos, who has a website called Draft Analyst, gave the pick a good review.

"Big kid with soft hands and can be used in all situations. Likes to join the rush too. Remember him well from Hlinka and AAPG but put together a strong season as a No. 1 for the Lumberjacks," Kournianos tweeted.

Gagne is the 96th player selected in the NHL Draft in UNH men's hockey program history.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH