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The Austin Bruins have completed the 2022 NAHL Draft and selected forwards Riley Fitzgerald and Jackson Luther, and defensemen Matthew Desiderio and Per Waage.

With the first pick of the draft (Round 1, Pick 27) the Bruins selected Fitzgerald from Boston Hockey Academy. Fitzgerald, 19, appeared in 49 games and collected a stat line of two goals and 30 assists during the 2021-22 season. Fitzgerald also comes from a strong hockey background as his cousins are Keith Tkachuk and Jimmy and Kevin Hayes, who have or are currently playing in the NHL.

Being selected with the 72nd overall pick, the Bruins selected Desiderio. Desiderio will bring size to the Bruins’ blue line as the 2005 birth year is listed at six foot, four inch, 201 pounds. Desiderio played in 75 games for the New Jersey Rockets 16U AAA program. In those 75 games, Desiderio had 15 goals and 28 assists and a +31 rating

With the 109th pick in the draft, the Bruins took forward Luther. Luther, 19, appeared in 18 games this season with the Oakland Junior Grizzlies 18U AAA program. In those 18 games, Luther had 6G-4A-10G and a +4 rating. Luther will be joining current Bruin, Gavin Morrissey, as the newest Oakland Jr. Grizzly to join the Bruins organization.

To conclude the 2022 NAHL Draft, the Bruins selected a familiar face in Waage. Waage, 19, played in five games for the Bruins last season as an affiliate player but spent a majority of the 2021-22 season with the Rochester Grizzlies of the NA3HL. Waage appeared in 51 games for the Grizzlies, collecting five goals and 18 assists while patrolling the blue line to help the Grizzlies secure their first Fraser Cup Championship.