Winterhawks have a field day at the NHL Entry Draft
The Canadian Hockey League continues to be the top supplier of talent for the National Hockey League and for this year anyway, the Portland Winterhawks took the lead.
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Eight Winterhawks were picked in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft last weekend in Los Angeles, CA, including Ryan Johansen and Nino Niederreiter, who were taken with the fourth and fifth overall selections.
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Johansen went to the Columbus Blue Jackets fourth overall and Niederreiter was taken by the New York Islanders immediately following his teammate.
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“It’s just a great feeling,” said Niederreiter, who agreed that combining with Johansen this season in Portland helped both players draft stock. “He pushed me and I pushed him at the end. It was just great. And he’s fourth, and I’m fifth, so it’s fantastic for the (Winterhawks).”
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Johansen was a bit of a surprise to go fourth overall. The Port Moody, BC native scored 25 goals and 69 points as a rookie with the Winterhawks this season.
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He was rated 16th in the NHL Central Scouting mid-term rankings in January and jumped up to 10th in the final rankings. Obviously the Blue Jackets liked him even more than that.
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“I just wasn’t rated so high by Central Scouting so it was just in the back of my head that it was a maybe but I knew they had me highly on their charts,” Johansen said. “I worked my hardest throughout the year and did what I could. Thankfully they noticed, and now I’m here.”
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They were the first Winterhawks selected in the first round of the NHL draft since Brayden Coburn went eighth overall to the Atlanta Thrashers in 2003 and Johansen was the highest Winterhawk taken since Glen Wesley went third overall in 1987.
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Johansen also said that playing with Niederreiter also helped his season.
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“I’m a play maker with good vision, good hockey sense, and good puck protection,” Johansen said. “I’m the type of player that likes to play with a goal score. Somebody who can put the puck in the back of the net, like Nino Niederreiter, my linemate this year who put up 44 goals if you include World Juniors. So I think those are my best assets and I contribute to the team well.”
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Niederreiter said that Johansen also helped him adjust to life in the Western Hockey League off the ice.
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“He helped me a lot with the English,” said Niederreiter, who became the highest Swiss-born player ever drafted. “It was kind of funny first time I saw him I asked him for scissors or sock tape. So he kind of got to be a friend. He’s a fantastic centerman with great ability. I’m really happy for him to go forward.”
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The Winterhawks parade continued on Day 2 of the draft with six more players selected in rounds two through seven.
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Brad Ross went to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round, Taylor Aronson went to the Nashville Predators in the third round, Troy Rutkowski and Luke Walker both went to the Colorado Avalanche in the fifth round, Mac Carruth went to the Chicago Blackhawks in the seventh round and Riley Boychuk rounded out the Winterhawks day when he went to the Buffalo Sabres in the seventh round.
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“To see your players develop and become what they want to be is satisfying,” Winterhawks coach and general manager Mike Johnston told The Oregonian. “Being drafted and signing an NHL contract is a huge thrill for these guys.
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“We had heard rumours that Columbus was very interested in Ryan. And to have them go back-to-back was really exciting for us.”
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Photo of Ryan Johansen and Nino Niederreiter by Aaron Bell/CHL Images