Blues chose D Schmaltz with 25th pick in NHL draft

ST. LOUIS (AP) - The St. Louis Blues selected defenseman Jordan Schmaltz with the 25th pick in the first round of the NHL draft on Friday night.

Schmaltz, out of the USHL, is considered to be a project player. The 6-foot-2, 189-pound blue-liner will attend the University of North Dakota next year. He split this past season between the Sioux City Musketeers and Green Bay Gamblers, ranking second among USHL defensemen with 41 points (10 goals, 31 assists) in 55 games.

Schmaltz played 46 of games for Green Bay, leading the team's defensemen in assists, points and power-play goals (five). He added seven points (two goals, five assists) and had a plus-10 rating in 12 playoff games for the Clark Cup Champions.