Smithtown Native Ryan Ufko Preparing For NHL Draft

SMITHTOWN, NY — Ryan Ufko's passion for hockey could pay dividends this summer, as he is eligible to be drafted by a team in the National Hockey League.

Ufko, 18, attended Smithtown High School West for his freshman year before moving away and earning his diploma at online school Laurel Springs. The 5 feet 10 inches defenseman, who has been playing hockey since he was 6, said it would mean "everything" to him if he were to be selected to the NHL.

"It would provide closure for everything and for what I’ve done over the years," Ufko told Patch. "It would be great to spend it with my family."

Ufko, a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins while growing up, spent the past two seasons with the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League. He registered 10 goals and 29 assists in 53 games last season. He intends to play at the NCAA level with the University of Massachusetts this upcoming season.

He considers himself an offensive-minded defenseman.

"I love having the puck and love making plays," he said. "I like to watch and compare myself to Adam Fox. We’re both not the biggest guys on the ice. Not the biggest defenders. We’re fairly smart with the puck and can create offense, make plays and set people up."

Fox is a 23-year-old defenseman with the New York Rangers. Fox, similar to Ufko, is 5 feet 11 inches. They share a listed weight of 181 pounds. The NHL'er registered 5 goals and 42 assists, as well as a plus-19 rating, in his second year with the Rangers.

Ufko is largely projected to be drafted in the mid-to-late second round by draft experts, though some believe he could last until the latter stages of the third round, according to his Elite Prospects page.

The NHL draft, scheduled for July 23 and 24, will have seven rounds.