ROCKFORD, Ill.- Get a chance to check out potential Rockford IceHogs stars of tomorrow in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft this weekend from the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa, Ontario.
The draft will feature 211 picks over seven rounds over the next two days. The broadcast on the Versus network begins with a preview show at 6 p.m. Friday. The draft begins an hour later with the first pick going to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Of the 47 players who donned an IceHogs jersey in 2007-08, 17 were at one point drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks. That list includes the third pick in the 2004 draft (Cam Barker) and the seventh pick in 2005 (Jack Skille). Of the 26 IceHogs from 2007-08 who were at one point picked in the NHL Entry Draft, three went in the first round, six went in the second round and three went in the third round. But 14 went in the later rounds, including RW Troy Brouwer (round 7, 2005), D Dustin Byfuglien (round 8, 2003) and G Wade Flaherty (round 9, 1988).
The Chicago Blackhawks, NHL affiliate of the Rockford IceHogs, have seven picks this year. Below is a breakdown of how the Hawks picks shake out.
Round | Pick # |
1 | 11 |
3 | 72 |
4 | 102 |
5 | 132 |
6 | 162 |
6 | 169 (from Ottawa) |
7 | 192 |
The Blackhawks traded the 42nd pick (round 2) to the Ottawa Senators in a deal that brought RW Martin Havlat and C Bryan Smolinski to the Hawks and sent D Tom Preissing, C Josh Hennessy and D Michal Barinka to Ottawa (July 9, 2006).
The Florida Panthers traded the 160th pick (round 6) to Chicago for G Craig Anderson (June 24, 2006) and then Chicago sent the pick and LW Karl Stewart to Tampa Bay for RW Nikita Alexeev (Feb. 27, 2007).
The Senators traded the 169th pick (round 6) for RW Martin Lapointe (Feb. 26, 2008).
North American players eligible for selection in the seven rounds of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft must be born between January 1, 1988, and September 15, 1990. Non-North American players have to be born between January 1, 1987, and September 15, 1990.