NHL Entry Draft Set for June 21-22 in Nashville
Minnesota's Thomas Vanek is the No. 3-ranked Prospect. |
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June 17, 2003
MADISON, Wisc. The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is expected to add to it's impressive all-time list of more than 615 National Hockey League draftees this coming weekend when the world's top professional league conducts its 2003 Entry Draft on June 21-22 at the Gaylor Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tenn. Hosted by the Nashville Predators, the first three rounds take place on Saturday while the remaining rounds take place on Sunday. The 2003 NHL Entry Draft will be televised on Saturday from 1-4 pm ET by ESPN2 and TSN.
In all, 27 players with WCHA ties both current and incoming recruits were identified among the top draft-eligible forwards, defensemen and goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting Service's Final North American Rankings issued on May 13th. Forward Thomas Vanek (University of Minnesota), defenseman Ryan Suter (University of Wisconsin recruit), forward Zach Parise (University of North Dakota), and defenseman Mark Stuart (Colorado College) were named as potential first rounders while among goaltenders, Travis Weber (Minnesota), Mike Brodeur (Wisconsin recruit), Josh Johnson (University of Minnesota-Duluth recruit), and Matt Zaba (Colorado College recruit) were among the top 30 North American netminders.
The first player drafted from a U.S. college hockey program was Michigan Tech University's Al Karlander in 1967 while the first college hockey player selected in the first round of the NHL Draft was the University of Minnesota's Mike Ramsey in 1979.
Click here for PDF release and to view player statistics and a list of players with WCHA ties who were ranked among the top draft-eligible players in NHL Central Scouting's Final 2002-03 North American Rankings.
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