Phase Of Glory: How Waterloo's 2024 USHL Phase II Draft Propelled Team To New Levels
The Waterloo Black Hawks have seen a number of players from their 2024 USHL Phase II Draft class become integral pieces to the team's playoff run this season.
The Waterloo Black Hawks have been building all year for this moment. After three postseason straight postseason exits at the hands of the Lincoln Stars, Waterloo got the best of their Western Conference rivals.
The Black Hawks took Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals to close out the series and advance to their first Clark Cup Finals appearance since 2014.
Anyone who has watched Waterloo’s postseason run cannot help but notice how impactful the 2024 USHL Phase II Draft class has been.
Historically, the Phase II Draft prioritizes immediate needs compared to the Phase I Draft, where somewhat near-future needs are targeted. Once college commitments and roster outlooks were clarified, the Black Hawks identified key areas for plug-and-play positions.
Thanks in large part to the efforts of now former General Manager Bryn Chyzyk, the Phase II Draft yielded not just talent, but character. The roster’s strength came from more than just skill. It was about bringing in players who wanted to be great teammates and competitors.
Notable picks like Brendan McMorrow, Brady Peddle, Kaeden Hawkins, Morgan Brady, Carter Casey, and Ryan Whiterabbit have stood out as foundational pieces in the Clark Cup Playoffs.
McMorrow’s leap in production was impossible to ignore.
The Denver commit had just 13 goals in a secondary role with the U.S. National Team Development Program U18 Team last year. McMorrow, who was selected No. 8 overall in the Phase II Draft, nearly doubled that total with 24 goals with the Black Hawks during the regular season and has continued that momentum with six more in 10 postseason games so far.
“The stat line is the easy one,” Black Hawks head coach Smaby said of McMorrow’s development. “But I think if you're going to peel back the layers, what he has is a competitive nature. His skating is tremendous. I think what he's done a really good job of with his game this year in regards to improvement is just rounding it out overall.”
McMorrow has emerged as a trusted asset at both ends of the ice. He now plays key minutes, kills penalties, takes crucial faceoffs, and thrives under pressure as Waterloo’s first-line center.
“The other big thing is just the overall confidence,” Smaby added. “For him, that's been a noticeable thing. He wants to be out there at the end (of games). He wants to be one of the guys that we're leaning on.”
Along with McMorrow, the Black Hawks took forward Kaeden Hawkins No. 43 overall in the third round. The St. Thomas commit saw a noticeable jump in his scoring touch last year with the Shattuck St. Mary’s 18U team, going from 12 to 35 goals scored.
Still, he flew under the radar, much to the delight of Waterloo.
Since then, Hawkins has made a name for himself. The Black Hawks staff saw his potential early—especially at development camp—and his ability to finish plays has made him a vital part of the offense.
The forward’s 21 goals during the regular season were the second-most on Waterloo’s roster. Added, Hawkins extended his goal streak to six games with a power-play goal, the game-winning goal, in Thursday’s series clincher.
“His shot is just tremendous,” Smaby said of Hawkins. “He scored Game 1 (of the regular season) against Chicago in Pittsburgh. You see him shoot, you’re like, ‘Holy smokes, this guy might have 30 goals by the end of the season.’
“I think there were ebbs and flows as there are with all young guys and first-year guys in the league. But, not only did he round out his game, but man, he's got a really, really good scorer's touch, and that's just something that you can't teach. That's just a natural thing.”
Then there is Casey, who came into the organization as a seventh-round pick.
The 2007-born goaltender has been everything and more for Waterloo since joining the team six weeks ago after finishing up his season with Grand Rapids High School (USHS-MN).
Forced into a starting role due to injuries in the Black Hawks’ goaltending room, Casey has shown excellent maturity for his age. “Compartmentalize” was the word Smaby used to describe the 17-year-old’s mental fortitude as a goaltender.
The results?
Casey has gone 8-2-0 with a 2.34 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage in ten postseason games. Added, he posted back-to-back shutouts against a Lincoln squad that was not shut out once this season before this series.
“He is an absolute competitor,” Smaby said of Casey. “We talk about that with our guys playing five-on-five and forechecking, but to have that between the pipes and in the paint is something that I think feeds the energy for our whole team.
“Not only is he a tremendous competitor, but you listen to him talk after the games or when he's doing media stuff, there's a level of humility that he has to that I think is really, really important. It's something as a young kid that is just tremendously impressive. You look at the way he carries himself off the ice, he brings that on the ice with him.”
Unsurprisingly, recruiting interest from college programs has spiked—“You can do the math,” Matt added with a smile, noting Casey is their only uncommitted player.
The Waterloo Black Hawks will have a week off before Game 1 of the Clark Cup Finals against the Eastern Conference-champion Muskegon Lumberjacks.
At the immediate forefront, though, is the 2025 USHL Draft, with Phase I on Monday and Phase II on Tuesday. And while Chyzyk has taken a role with the University of North Dakota, much of the heavy lifting and preparation for the Draft was already done before his departure.
The Black Hawks remain confident they will find players who will be high-impact players for them next year.
“He left us in a tremendous spot, not only with what we've taken in the draft over the past few years but a plan for what it is that we want to accomplish here in the draft moving forward,” Smaby said of Chyzyk. “So, he's moved on, but he's also left us with a wealth of information and a great list of guys to target in the draft. We've got a big scouting staff who I know has been working extremely hard and been in communication not only recently, but also throughout the season with Bryn.”