The Chicago Blackhawks selected center Dominic James with the No. 173 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Welcome to the fam Dominic ‼️ pic.twitter.com/AsCkFzfFfh
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 8, 2022
James is another overager forward, this time coming out of Minnesota-Duluth. He’s not known for his offensive production — he put up just 18 points (6 G, 12 A) in 39 NCAA games at the age of 20 — but he’s touted as having a strong work ethic and above-average defensive prowess. James is especially effective on the penalty kill and his ability to apply physicality in the defensive zone in a highly effective manner. It was his strong showing in his own end that likely earned him a surprise roster spot on Team USA at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship (that tournament was unfortunately cancelled). James will likely return to UMD for his sophomore season.
Interestingly, James has a connection to Thompson, the Blackhawks other overager selected in the 2022 draft: they are both products of the Lincoln Stars program in the USHL. James spent three seasons with the Stars, so the two overlapped in the ‘20-21 season.
Here’s some additional information on James:
Dominic James is another guy from my “intriguing late-rounder list” and goes to the Blackhawks at 173. Didn’t have big points this year, but he’s got a lot of jump. Made the U.S. WJC team out of nowhere as a depth center. Key guy for Minnesota Duluth.
— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) July 8, 2022
Dominic James is a speedy forward with a solid projection as a bottom six guy. Going to be a really strong PK option in the future. #nhldraft22
— Brock Otten (@BrockOtten) July 8, 2022