As noted when the A.J. White signed his ATO contract. This is the time of year when several collegiate and junior teams are finishing up their playing seasons. The Portland Winterhawks of the WHL were eliminated from the opening round of the playoffs at the end of March. That opens up the door for the Nashville Predators to do what they’ve done this morning by assigning defenseman Jack Dougherty to the Milwaukee Admirals ahead of the team’s trip to Charlotte this weekend.

Press Release via Nashville Predators:

Nashville, Tenn. (April 8, 2016) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Friday that the club has assigned 2014 second-round selection Jack Dougherty to Milwaukee (AHL).

Dougherty, 19 (5/25/96), recently completed his first season of junior hockey with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, where he ranked second among WHL rookie defensemen in points (11g-41a-52pts), seventh among all rookies in points, tied for 13th among all league defensemen, and tied for 16th among all skaters in power-play assists (21). The 6-foot-1, 194-pound blueliner joined the Winterhawks after spending the 2014-15 season at the University of Wisconsin, and the 2013-14 season with the U.S. National Team Development Program. A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Dougherty helped the United States win its fifth gold medal in a six-year span at the Under-18 World Championship in 2014, and led Team USA to a silver medal at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Tournament.

Nashville’s third choice, 51st overall (second round), in the 2014 Entry Draft, Dougherty played two seasons of Minnesota High School hockey with St. Thomas Academy in 2012-13 and 2013-14 and helped the Cadets capture their third consecutive Class A state title in 2013. Dougherty is on Twitter @jackdougherty2.

The Nashville Predators conclude the 2015-16 regular season tomorrow, Saturday, April 9, when they take on the Dallas Stars at 7 p.m. at the American Airlines Center (TV: FOX Sports Tennessee; Radio: 102.5 The Game). Tickets to Round One of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs are on sale now and available at Ticketmaster.com. Nashville’s opponent, as well as the date and time of each game in the series, will be announced at a later date. Fans are encouraged to visit NashvillePredators.com, or follow the team on Twitter (@PredsNHL) for the latest information on the playoffs.

Dougherty was part of the Predators 2014 Draft Class which included Kevin Fiala, Vladislav Kamenev, and Viktor Arvidsson. Dougherty was selected after Kamenev by the Predators in the second round. The 19-year old right handed shooting defenseman endured the Wisconsin Badgers rough 2014-15 season before making the leap to the junior hockey ranks as a member of the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL. He’s had a great 2015-16 season: 52 points (11 goals, 41 assists) in 68 games and had a pair of assists in the Winterhawks short playoff run when they were swept in the opening round by the Everett Silvertips. He has already signed his entry level contract with the Predators organization and will wear the number 15 when he suits up for the first time as a member of the Admirals.

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