After being selected in the 2024 USHL Phase II Draft, goaltender Melvin Strahl is making the jump to North America and will play with the Youngstown Phantoms in 2024-25.
After getting dynamic forward Adam Benák to commit for the 2024-25 season, the Youngstown Phantoms got another European talent to come across the pond. Goaltender Melvin Strahl is set to play in the USHL this coming season.
The 19-year-old, a 2023 fifth-round draft selection of the Columbus Blue Jackets, played for the MoDo Hockey J20 team in Sweden this past year. In 30 games, Strahl posted a 13-15-0 record with a 2.91 goals-against average, 0.903 save percentage (seventh-best in the league), and one shutout.
Strahl primarily played with the J20 team as an 18-year-old goaltender during his first draft-eligible season. There, he posted a 3.35 goals-against average and a 0.883 save percentage in 23 appearances. He also logged six games with the J18 squad, posting a 2.67 goals-against average and 0.882 save percentage.
At 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds, Strahl presents a large frame that will continue to fill out as he physically matures. The Swedish goaltender is recently coming off his second appearance at Blue Jackets' Development Camp.