DRAFT PICKS CONTRIBUTING WITH THE ICEHOGS

Rockford, Ill.- While few if any of the Chicago Blackhawks’ seven picks in the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft this weekend in Montréal are likely to play for the Rockford IceHogs in 2009-10, but past experience says that many of the picks will eventually find their way on to the Rockford roster.

Of the 68 players who have worn an IceHogs sweater since the team joined the American Hockey League, 39 (57 percent) came into professional hockey through the draft. And of those 39 players, 22 of them came to Rockford as Blackhawks picks.

A total of 12 players from the 2004, including Cam Barker, Bryan Bickell, Petri Kontiola and Kris Versteeg, have skated for Rockford, the most of any draft class. The 2005 draft is close behind with 11 players, including Jack Skille and Niklas Hjalmarsson.

Below are a few facts about the NHL draft picks that have played for the Rockford IceHogs:

Highest draft pick to play for the IceHogs: Cam Barker (3rd overall in 2004 with Blackhawks

Lowest draft pick to play for IceHogs: Sean McMorrow (258th overall in 2000 with Buffalo)

Lowest Blackhawks draft pick to play for IceHogs: Dustin Byfuglien (245th overall in 2000)

First Round Draft Selections to play for the IceHogs:
Kyle Beach, 11th overall (2008) by Blackhawks
Jack Skille, 7th overall (2005) by Blackhawks
Cam Barker, 3rd overall (2004) by Blackhawks
Sergei Samsonov, 8th overall (1997) by Bruins

Picks by draft year to play with IceHogs:
2008: 1 (Beach)
2007: 1 (Aliu)
2006: None
2005: 11 (Bertram, Blunden, Brophey, Brouwer, Charlebois, Davis, Fallon, Hjalmarsson, Hobson, Skille,
Turner)
2004: 12 (Barker, Berti, Bickell, Bolland, Brent, Dowell, Kontiola, Paiement, Pineault, Sawyer,
Stephenson, Versteeg)
2003: 5 (Brodeur, Byfuglien, Crawford, Fraser, Richmond)
2002: 1 (Wisniewski)
2001: 2 (Archer, Johnson)
2000: 2 (Koci, McMorrow)
1998: 1 (Fahey)
1997: 1 (Samsonov)
1988: 2 (Christian, Flaherty)

Number of Players Picked by Round:
First Round: 4 (Barker, Beach, Samsonov, Skille)
Second Round: 11 (Aliu, Bertram, Bickell, Blunden, Bolland, Christian, Crawford, Davis, Pineault,
Richmond, Stephenson)
Third Round: 5 (Berti, Brent, Brophey, Fraser, Johnson)
Fourth Round: 1 (Hjalmarsson)
Fifth Round: 6 (Dowell, Koci, Sawyer, Turner, Versteeg, Wisniewski)
Sixth Round: 2 (Charlebois, Fallon)
Seventh Round: 5 (Archer, Brodeur, Brouwer, Hobson, Kontiola)
Eighth Round: 4 (Byfuglien, Fahey, McMorrow, Paiement)
Ninth Round: 1 (Flaherty)

Draft picks by position:
Center: 5
Wings: 12
Defense: 10
Goalies: 2

Most games played by a draft pick: Petri Kontiola, 127

The 2009 NHL Entry Draft will be broadcast on June 26 on Versus starting at 6 p.m. Rounds two through seven continue on Saturday on the NHL Network starting at 9 a.m.