Pierre’s Carter Sanderson made South Dakota history on Saturday, June 28. 

Sanderson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the 169th pick in the sixth round of the NHL Draft. Sanderson is likely the first South Dakotan drafted into the NHL. 

A University of North Dakota commit, Sanderson played for the Muskegon Lumberjacks (Michigan) of the United States Hockey League in the 2024-25 season. Sanderson was selected by the Lumberjacks in last summer's Phase II draft.

Sanderson helped the Lumberjacks win the team’s first-ever Clark Cup title in the USHL last season. A 6-foot-1, 192-pound forward, Sanderson logged five goals and six assists last season.

Pittsburgh Penguins Vice President of Player Personnel Wes Clark said about Sanderson: "Our area scout Brandon Dennis was super passionate about him. Super, super competitive. Type of kid that may not show up on the stat sheet just yet. Extremely young, too, for the draft class. First year in the USHL, wins the championship. But that credit goes to Brandon Dennis, just loved his competitiveness and the way he plays the game to influence it, to help the team win."

Sanderson is the second Pierre native to recently get drafted by a professional sports team. Pierre’s Grey Zabel was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks in April.