HAWKS DRAFT BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER 'D'

Rockford, Ill.- The Chicago Blackhawks used five of their seven picks in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft to bolster their defensive corps.

The Hawks started with Left Wing Kyle Beach (Everett, WHL | draft profile) as the 11th pick in the draft. Beach recorded 27 goals, 60 points and 222 penalty minutes in 60 games with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League in 2007-08. Those totals earned the 18-year-old the No. 7 rating among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings.

For more on Beach, read the NHL.com story on chicagoblackhawks.com.

In the third round, the Hawks picked Shawn Lalonde (draft profile | player page) of Belleville in the OHL. To get their man, the Hawks traded the #72 and #102 picks to the New York Islanders to move up four spots.

The rest of the Blackhawks picks are as follows:

Round	Pick	Name	Position	Height	Weight	2007-08 Team
5	132	Teigan Zahn	D	6-1	217	Saskatoon (WHL)
6	162	Jonathan Carlsson	D	6-1	198	Brynäs IF (Sweden)
6	169	Ben Smith	RW	5-11	195	Boston College (Hockey East)
6	179	Braden Birch	D	6-3	185	Oakville (OPJHL)
From Los Angeles for 6th round pick in 2009
7	192	Joe Gleason	D	5-9	178	Edina (Minn.) H.S.

For interviews, video and more information on the 2008 NHL Draft, visit chicagoblackhawks.com's Draft Central.