The St. Louis Blues chose defenseman Nick Bogas 139th overall during the 2026 National Hockey League Draft on Saturday.
 
The former Waterloo Black Hawks defenseman was selected in the middle stages of the fifth round after being slotted 121st among eligible North American prospects in the April NHL Central Scouting final draft rankings.
 
Prior to today, the Blues had not drafted a Black Hawk since 1999.  However, they chose Landon Nycz less than an hour earlier during the fourth round.  The two former Waterloo teammates were chosen 32 picks (exactly one round) apart.
 
In 2024/25, Bogas was the youngest fulltime player on Waterloo's roster.  He skated in 60 of 62 scheduled games and produced 11 points (one goal, ten assists).  The 6-foot blue-liner was also +9, which tied for fourth among all USHL rookie defensemen.

During the 2025 Clark Cup Playoffs, Bogas played in all 15 games as Waterloo's season extended to the final possible date on the calendar.  He tallied three assists and a +1 plus/minus differential.  Two of those points came during the Hawks' 8-5 win in Game One of the Final series against the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

The Michigan State recruit spent the 2025/26 season with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program.  During the 2026 IIHF World Under 18 Championships, Bogas notched a goal against Sweden, and the United States placed fifth in the 10-team field.