High school hockey players advance to national tournament

Hancock Central High School’s Austin Salani and Calumet’s Dean Loukus are both on Team Michigan Seniors in the prestigious National Invitational Tournament this weekend. The annual event is a great opportunity for players to be scouted by all levels of professional and amateur hockey if they intend to continue their careers past the prep scene. Salani and Loukus both received All-State honors for Division Three this week.

Remaining games this weekend drop the puck Friday at 5:30 PM and Saturday at 1:15 PM. There are streaming options available for both contests.

The full release is below.

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Hancock Central High School senior forward, Austin Salani, is participating in the CCM Minnesota High School Hockey Boys National Invitational Tournament this weekend (April 22-25). Salani is a member of Team Michigan Seniors, along with former rival Dean Loukus of Calumet.

The annual NIT tournament is a major showcase for some of the best high school hockey players in the nation who have the potential to play at higher levels. Scouts from the NHL, NCAA schools, and junior leagues like the USHL will be on hand to evaluate the talent on the ice.

Salani recently completed his high school hockey career with the Bulldogs, earning Michigan All-State First Team honors.

Team Michigan Seniors play Thursday at 10:00 PM, Friday 5:30 PM, and Saturday at 1:15 PM (all times Eastern). Video streaming packages to watch the games are available at mnhockey.tv/ccm-high-performance-program-2.

Calumet’s Jackson Rilei and Tom Erkilla are skating for the other Michigan team in the tournament – Michigan HP 18.