Preview: IceHogs Conclude Two Game Set With Texas Tonight
18 hours ago
BLACKHAWKS SELECT 11 PLAYERS IN 2011 NHL DRAFT
The 2011 NHL Entry Draft is in the books and the Chicago Blackhawks selected 11 overall players in last weekend's draft.
On Friday, Chicago drafted forward Mark McNeill from the Western Hockey League’s Price Albert Raiders with the 18th overall selection of the first round, and forward Phillip Danault of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Victoriaville Tigres with the 26th overall selection.
The Blackhawks drafted defenseman Adam Clendening (36th overall), forward Brandon Saad (43rd overall), defenseman Michael Paliotta (70th overall), defenseman Klas Dahlbeck (79th overall), forward Maxim Shalunov (109th overall), Andrew Shaw (139th overall), Sam Jardine (169th overall), Alex Broadhurst (199th overall) and Johan Mattsson (211th overall) to complete the 2011 National Hockey League Entry Draft at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota on Saturday.
Chicago Blackhawks 2011 NHL Entry Draft Recap
* - From Washington, in exchange for Troy Brouwer
** - From Winnipeg (formerly Atlanta), in exchange for Andrew Ladd
*** - From Calgary, via Toronto, in exchange for 2010 second-round selection
^ - From Toronto, in exchange for 2010 second-round selection
^^ - From Boston, in exchange for 2010 seventh-round selection
Blackhawks Friday (Round One) Draft Pick Bios:
McNeill, 18, led the Raiders with a career-high 49 assists and ranked second on the team with a career-best 32 goals in 70 regular-season tilts during the 2010-11 campaign. He also ranked second on the club with five points (2G, 3A) in six WHL postseason contests after helping lead Prince Albert to the playoffs for the first time since 2006-07.
The Edmonton, Alberta, native finished fourth at the 2011 U-18 World Championships with six assists while competing for Team Canada. He also won a gold medal at the 2008 World Ball Hockey Championships in Slovakia and was named to the tournament All-Star team.
Over the course of three seasons with Prince Albert, McNeill registered 41 goals, 64 assists and 80 penalty minutes in 142 regular-season games in the Western Hockey League.
Danault, 18, shared the Victoriaville team lead with a career-high 44 assists, tied for third with a career-best 67 points (23G, 44A), and ranked second among club forwards with a +17 plus/minus rating in 64 regular-season games. He also tied for third in the QMJHL with four shorthanded goals during the regular-season, and led the Tigres with 15 points (5G, 10A) in nine postseason tilts.
The Victoriaville, Quebec, native, who served as the captain of the Tigres during the 2010-11 campaign, represented Canada at the 2010 Under-18 Ivan Hlinka tournament and Team Quebec at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
In two QMJHL seasons, Danault recorded 33 goals, 62 assists, 113 penalty minutes and a +36 plus/minus rating in 125 regular-season tilts. In 2009-10, he led all Victoriaville rookies in goals (10) and tied for the rookie lead in points (28).
Blackhawks Saturday (Rounds Two through Seven) Draft Pick Bios:
Clendening, 18, collected a team-high 21 assists and ranked fourth among all Hockey East defensemen with 26 points (5G, 21A) in 39 games during his freshman season at Boston University in 2010-11. He was named to the league’s All-Rookie Team and was an honorable mention Hockey East All-Star, the only freshman to receive the honor.
A product of the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP), the Wheatfield, New York, native won gold with Team USA at the 2009 and 2010 Under-18 World Championships. He was named to the tournament All-Star Team in 2010 after leading all defensemen in tournament scoring with 10 points (3G, 7A).
Saad, 18, shared second on the Saginaw Spirit with 27 goals and totaled 55 points (27G, 28A) in 59 regular-season tilts in 2010-11 in his Ontario Hockey League debut. In the OHL Playoffs, he finished third on the team with 12 points (3G, 9A) in 12 contests.
A native of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, Saad competed for the USNTDP U-18 team in 2009-10, leading the club with 58 points (29G, 29A) in 63 games, and winning a gold medal at the 2010 U-18 World Championships. He was also honored as the 2009 North American Hockey League Rookie Of The Year with Mahoning Valley.
Paliotta, 18, registered one goal, 12 assists and 71 penalty minutes in 52 games with the USNTDP U-18 team during the 2010-11 campaign. The Westport, Connecticut, native, who attended Choate Rosemary Hall before joining USA Hockey’s development program, has committed to attend the University of Vermont in the fall.
Dahlbeck, 19, tallied eight assists and 12 penalty minutes in 47 regular-season tilts with Linkoping HC in his first full season in the Swedish Elite League. The blueliner, a native of Katrineholm, Sweden, represented his native country at the 2011 World Junior Championships, notching two assists in six contests.
Shalunov, 18, made his Kontinental Hockey League debut in 2010-11, collecting one assist in six tilts with Chelyabinsk Traktor. He also registered 36 points (22G, 14A) and 42 penalty minutes in 39 regular-season contests, and seven points (G, 6A) in five postseason games, with Belie Medvedi Chelyabinsk of the Russian Minor Hockey League. The Chelyabinsk, Russia, native notched three points (2G, A) while helping his native country to a bronze medal at the 2011 U-18 World Championships.
Shaw, 19, posted a career-high 54 points (22G, 32A) and a +17 plus/minus rating in 66 regular-season tilts with the Owen Sound Attack, and shared 11th in the Ontario Hockey League with 135 penalty minutes. The Belleville, Ontario, native ranked third on the club with 10 goals, fourth with 17 points and accrued a league-high 53 penalty minutes in 20 postseason contests while helping the Attack to the 2011 OHL Championship. Shaw was also honored with the league’s Hardest Working Player Of The Year award.
Jardine, 17, ranked second among club blueliners with six goals and paced rookies with 22 points (6G, 16A) in 50 regular-season games with the Camrose Kodiaks, and led team defensemen in goals (4), assists (7) and points (11) in 23 Alberta Junior Hockey League postseason tilts. The Lacombe, Alberta, native skated for the Canada West club at the 2010 U-19 World Junior-A Tournament, and has committed to attend The Ohio State University in the fall.
Broadhurst, 18, tallied 13 goals and 20 assists, and ranked second on the club with a +15 plus/minus rating, in 55 regular-season tilts with the Green Bay Gamblers. The New Lenox, Illinois, native led the Gamblers with six assists, nine points, and a +7 rating in 11 United States Hockey League postseason contests. He has committed to attend the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Mattsson, 19, appeared in 29 games during the 2010-11 season for Sodertalje SK of the J20 Superelit league, posting a league-high .930 save percentage and a 2.62 GAA. The Huddings, Sweden, native also posted a 2-0-0 record and turned aside 37-of-38 shots for Sweden’s U-19 team.
On Friday, Chicago drafted forward Mark McNeill from the Western Hockey League’s Price Albert Raiders with the 18th overall selection of the first round, and forward Phillip Danault of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Victoriaville Tigres with the 26th overall selection.
The Blackhawks drafted defenseman Adam Clendening (36th overall), forward Brandon Saad (43rd overall), defenseman Michael Paliotta (70th overall), defenseman Klas Dahlbeck (79th overall), forward Maxim Shalunov (109th overall), Andrew Shaw (139th overall), Sam Jardine (169th overall), Alex Broadhurst (199th overall) and Johan Mattsson (211th overall) to complete the 2011 National Hockey League Entry Draft at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota on Saturday.
Chicago Blackhawks 2011 NHL Entry Draft Recap
| Rd. | Pick | Player | Pos. | 2010-11 Team | DOB | Ht. | Wt. |
| 1 | 18 | Mark McNeil | C | Prince Albert (WHL) | 2/22/93 (18) | 6-2 | 201 |
| 1 | 26* | Phillip Danault | LW | Victoriaville (QMJHL) | 2/24/93 (18) | 6-0 | 170 |
| 2 | 36** | Adam Clendening | D | Boston University (NCAA) | 10/26/92 (18) | 5-11 | 190 |
| 2 | 43*** | Brandon Saad | LW | Saginaw Spirit (OHL) | 10/27/92 (18) | 6-1 | 208 |
| 3 | 70^ | Michael Paliotta | D | US Development Program | 4/6/93 (18) | 6-3 | 198 |
| 3 | 79 | Klas Dahlbeck | D | Linkoping HC (SEL) | 7/6/91 (19) | 6-2 | 194 |
| 4 | 109 | Maxim Shalunov | LW | Chelyabinsk Traktor (KHL) | 1/31/93 (18) | 6-3 | 185 |
| 5 | 139 | Andrew Shaw | C | Owen Sound Attack (OHL) | 7/20/91 (19) | 5-11 | 180 |
| 6 | 169 | Sam Jardine | D | Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL) | 8/12/93 (17) | 6-0 | 185 |
| 7 | 199 | Alex Broadhurst | C | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | 3/7/93 (18) | 5-10 | 153 |
| 7 | 211^^ | Johan Mattsson | G | Sodertalje SK (SEL) | 4/25/92 (19) | 6-3 | 198 |
* - From Washington, in exchange for Troy Brouwer
** - From Winnipeg (formerly Atlanta), in exchange for Andrew Ladd
*** - From Calgary, via Toronto, in exchange for 2010 second-round selection
^ - From Toronto, in exchange for 2010 second-round selection
^^ - From Boston, in exchange for 2010 seventh-round selection
Blackhawks Friday (Round One) Draft Pick Bios:
McNeill, 18, led the Raiders with a career-high 49 assists and ranked second on the team with a career-best 32 goals in 70 regular-season tilts during the 2010-11 campaign. He also ranked second on the club with five points (2G, 3A) in six WHL postseason contests after helping lead Prince Albert to the playoffs for the first time since 2006-07.
The Edmonton, Alberta, native finished fourth at the 2011 U-18 World Championships with six assists while competing for Team Canada. He also won a gold medal at the 2008 World Ball Hockey Championships in Slovakia and was named to the tournament All-Star team.
Over the course of three seasons with Prince Albert, McNeill registered 41 goals, 64 assists and 80 penalty minutes in 142 regular-season games in the Western Hockey League.
Danault, 18, shared the Victoriaville team lead with a career-high 44 assists, tied for third with a career-best 67 points (23G, 44A), and ranked second among club forwards with a +17 plus/minus rating in 64 regular-season games. He also tied for third in the QMJHL with four shorthanded goals during the regular-season, and led the Tigres with 15 points (5G, 10A) in nine postseason tilts.
The Victoriaville, Quebec, native, who served as the captain of the Tigres during the 2010-11 campaign, represented Canada at the 2010 Under-18 Ivan Hlinka tournament and Team Quebec at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
In two QMJHL seasons, Danault recorded 33 goals, 62 assists, 113 penalty minutes and a +36 plus/minus rating in 125 regular-season tilts. In 2009-10, he led all Victoriaville rookies in goals (10) and tied for the rookie lead in points (28).
Blackhawks Saturday (Rounds Two through Seven) Draft Pick Bios:
Clendening, 18, collected a team-high 21 assists and ranked fourth among all Hockey East defensemen with 26 points (5G, 21A) in 39 games during his freshman season at Boston University in 2010-11. He was named to the league’s All-Rookie Team and was an honorable mention Hockey East All-Star, the only freshman to receive the honor.
A product of the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP), the Wheatfield, New York, native won gold with Team USA at the 2009 and 2010 Under-18 World Championships. He was named to the tournament All-Star Team in 2010 after leading all defensemen in tournament scoring with 10 points (3G, 7A).
Saad, 18, shared second on the Saginaw Spirit with 27 goals and totaled 55 points (27G, 28A) in 59 regular-season tilts in 2010-11 in his Ontario Hockey League debut. In the OHL Playoffs, he finished third on the team with 12 points (3G, 9A) in 12 contests.
A native of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, Saad competed for the USNTDP U-18 team in 2009-10, leading the club with 58 points (29G, 29A) in 63 games, and winning a gold medal at the 2010 U-18 World Championships. He was also honored as the 2009 North American Hockey League Rookie Of The Year with Mahoning Valley.
Paliotta, 18, registered one goal, 12 assists and 71 penalty minutes in 52 games with the USNTDP U-18 team during the 2010-11 campaign. The Westport, Connecticut, native, who attended Choate Rosemary Hall before joining USA Hockey’s development program, has committed to attend the University of Vermont in the fall.
Dahlbeck, 19, tallied eight assists and 12 penalty minutes in 47 regular-season tilts with Linkoping HC in his first full season in the Swedish Elite League. The blueliner, a native of Katrineholm, Sweden, represented his native country at the 2011 World Junior Championships, notching two assists in six contests.
Shalunov, 18, made his Kontinental Hockey League debut in 2010-11, collecting one assist in six tilts with Chelyabinsk Traktor. He also registered 36 points (22G, 14A) and 42 penalty minutes in 39 regular-season contests, and seven points (G, 6A) in five postseason games, with Belie Medvedi Chelyabinsk of the Russian Minor Hockey League. The Chelyabinsk, Russia, native notched three points (2G, A) while helping his native country to a bronze medal at the 2011 U-18 World Championships.
Shaw, 19, posted a career-high 54 points (22G, 32A) and a +17 plus/minus rating in 66 regular-season tilts with the Owen Sound Attack, and shared 11th in the Ontario Hockey League with 135 penalty minutes. The Belleville, Ontario, native ranked third on the club with 10 goals, fourth with 17 points and accrued a league-high 53 penalty minutes in 20 postseason contests while helping the Attack to the 2011 OHL Championship. Shaw was also honored with the league’s Hardest Working Player Of The Year award.
Jardine, 17, ranked second among club blueliners with six goals and paced rookies with 22 points (6G, 16A) in 50 regular-season games with the Camrose Kodiaks, and led team defensemen in goals (4), assists (7) and points (11) in 23 Alberta Junior Hockey League postseason tilts. The Lacombe, Alberta, native skated for the Canada West club at the 2010 U-19 World Junior-A Tournament, and has committed to attend The Ohio State University in the fall.
Broadhurst, 18, tallied 13 goals and 20 assists, and ranked second on the club with a +15 plus/minus rating, in 55 regular-season tilts with the Green Bay Gamblers. The New Lenox, Illinois, native led the Gamblers with six assists, nine points, and a +7 rating in 11 United States Hockey League postseason contests. He has committed to attend the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Mattsson, 19, appeared in 29 games during the 2010-11 season for Sodertalje SK of the J20 Superelit league, posting a league-high .930 save percentage and a 2.62 GAA. The Huddings, Sweden, native also posted a 2-0-0 record and turned aside 37-of-38 shots for Sweden’s U-19 team.
