Six Troops head to pro ranks after NHL Draft
Posted: Monday, June 26, 2000, 9:00 p.m.
BRAMPTON, Ont. – The Brampton Battalion led all Ontario Hockey League teams when they had six players selected during the 2000 National Hockey League Draft, held June 24-25 in Calgary.
The Battalion was the only team to have eight players on the final NHL Central Scouting Bureau list of North American players and were one of the few teams with two consensus first-rounders, defenceman Rostislav Klesla and winger Raffi Torres. Both players had been heavily scouted and had received a great deal of exposure in the media.
Klesla got the Battalion parade going when he was selected with the fourth overall pick by the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets. The popular Battalion blueliner, known to one and all as Rusty, made history on two fronts as he ascended the podium to meet NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Blue Jackets General Manager Doug MacLean. In addition to being the first draft choice in Columbus history, Klesla also became the first Battalion player to be drafted in the opening round.
When interviewed by CTV Sportsnet shortly after making the selection, Columbus General Manager Doug MacLean said he felt that Klesla could “come in right now and make our hockey team. We think he has a tremendous opportunity to make our team and you don’t have to look any further than the Stanley Cup Playoffs to see how important a good defence is. We felt that he was the best defenceman in the draft and we are absolutely thrilled with the pick.”
A few minutes after the Blue Jackets picked Klesla, the New York Islanders selected Raffi Torres with their second first round pick of the day. The Islanders had obtained the fifth overall pick through a draft day trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Isles had won the NHL Draft lottery earlier in the month, giving them the first overall pick, which they used to select Boston University goaltender Rick DiPietro.
“I can’t even feel my legs right now,” said Torres during an interview with CTV Sportsnet. “It feels awesome, it feels great to be over with and it feels great to be where I am right now.”
“We think his ability to score goals is exceptional,” Islanders General Manager Mike Milbury told CTV Sportsnet. “We watched him quite a bit this year and we saw a really competitive kid who had a real nose for the net.”
The first three rounds were being conducted on Saturday and shortly before the proceedings wrapped up for the day, Battalion defenceman Tyler Hanchuck was selected in the third round with the 76th overall pick by the Montreal Canadiens.
“This was the biggest day in the history of the team,” said Battalion owner Scott Abbott who was in Calgary. “To have two players go fourth and fifth (overall) and the first two players taken from the Canadian Hockey League, let alone the Ontario Hockey League is a real tribute to the entire organization, the scouting staff and the coaching staff that we have. I’m absolutely thrilled for the players and the entire organization. It was good to see us contributing mightily to the totals for the CHL and major junior hockey in Canada.”
Speedy winger Aaron Van Leusen was the first of three Battalion players chosen on Day Two as he was taken by the Detroit Red Wings with the final pick (130th overall) in the fourth round.
Defenceman Paul Flache, who wasn’t even on the NHL CSB list, followed several picks later, chosen in the fifth round (152nd overall) by the Edmonton Oilers. Paul’s twin brother Peter, a forward with the Guelph Storm, was drafted by the Chicago Black Hawks with the first pick (262nd overall) in the ninth round.
The final Brampton player taken during the draft was Captain Jason Maleyko, who was picked in the sixth round (188th overall) by the Ottawa Senators.
“I’m happy for all the guys,” said Maleyko. “All the guys worked hard for what they achieved.”
The six players chosen join centre Jeff Bateman (Dallas Stars) and defenceman Brad Woods (Florida Panthers) as Battalion players who have drafted into the pro ranks. Bateman and Woods were each selected in the 1999 NHL draft.
“Twenty four months ago, if someone said that the Battalion would have six players drafted after their second year, there would have been a lot of chuckling and laughing,” said team President Mike Griffin. “To have eight players drafted after the first two years is a tremendous accomplishment. We are happy for the players who were chosen and look forward to next season for the players who will be eligible again for next year’s draft.”
