By Mike Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
Walpole native and UMass Lowell freshman defenseman Ben Meehan was selected in the fifth round (No. 140 overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft on October 7 by the Los Angeles Kings.
"I'm so grateful to be a part of the Kings' organization, it's a dream come true," said Meehan in a UMass Lowell press release. "I'm also excited for our season to start here at Lowell. We have a great group of guys and I can't wait to get things going."
After playing three years at Dexter-Southfield from 2016-2019, where he registered 45 points (11 goals, 34 assists) in 76 games, Meehan opted to sign with the USHL's Cedar Rapid Roughriders for the 2019-2020 season. In a 25-game COVID-shortened season, Meehan recorded 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) and finished a plus-three +/-.
Following his time in Cedar Rapids, Meehan enrolled at UMass Lowell, the same school his father Scott attended and played hockey for from 1989-1993. Ben is currently preparing for his freshman season with the River Hawks, which is set to begin sometime in January. Lowell head coach Norm Bazin was very complimentary of Meehan in a recent interview with the school.
"We watched Ben play junior hockey last season and improve continually as the season progressed," said Bazin. "He drew attention from several professional teams. He has the right attitude and work ethic to continue that development in college. We're very excited to see him selected by the Los Angeles Kings."
For funny and incisive sports analysis as well as video highlights of games, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter and Instagram handles @flano0.
