WHL Everett Silvertips

Three Silvertips Selected at 2010 NHL Draft

Published on June 26, 2010 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Everett Silvertips News Release


Three Silvertips were selected in the NHL Entry Draft Saturday, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Goaltender Kent Simpson was selected in the second round (58th overall) by the Chicago Blackhawks, defenseman Radko Gudas was selected in the third round (66th overall) by the Tampa Bay Lightning, and defenseman Alex Theriau was selected in the fourth round (109th overall) by the Dallas Stars. Everett has now developed 13 NHL draft picks, four of which have been selected in the first round, since the team began play in 2003-04.

Kent Simpson, an Edmonton, AB native, stands 6'2 and weighs 195 pounds. The 1992-born goaltender finished the 2009-10 season, his second in the WHL, by finishing second in the league with a 2.26 goals against average and .925 save percentage to support his 22-9-1-0 record. Earlier this month, he attended Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence Goaltending Camp for the second consecutive year and has received international experience by backstopping Team Pacific to the Silver Medal at the 2009 World U-17 Hockey Challenge and appeared for Hockey Canada at April's World U-18 Championships. NHL Central Scouting's #3 ranked North America-based goaltender, Simpson was selected in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft and was named as Everett's 2009-10 Scholastic Player of the Year. The 2010 Draft marks the third consecutive year that the Blackhawks have selected a Silvertip, following the selections of Kyle Beach (1st round - 2008) and Byron Froese (4th round - 2009).

Radko Gudas, a Prague, Czech Republic native, stands 5'11 and weighs 192 pounds. The 1990-born defenseman recorded 37 points on seven goals and 30 assists, totaling 151 penalty minutes in 65 games. In just one season, Gudas became the Silvertips' all-time plus/minus leader with a +45 rating. A two-time representative of the Czech Republic at the World Junior Championships, Gudas took home a Silvertips Iron Man Award, a Booster Club F.I.E.R.C.E. Predator Award, and was a WHL Second Team All-Star. Following an appearance at the Los Angeles Kings' training camp in 2009, Gudas was ranked 91st amongst North-America-based skaters heading into the draft.

Alex Theriau, a Duncan, BC native, stands 6'2 and weighs 200 pounds. The 1992-born defenseman recorded 24 points on four goals and 20 assists in 2009-10 along with a +12 rating, playing in 70 of Everett's 72 games. Theriau, ranked 77th amongst North America-based skaters by NHL Central Scouting, won a Silver Medal for Team Pacific with Simpson at the 2009 World U-17 Hockey Challenge and was originally drafted in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft. He was selected by the coaching staff as the Silvertips' Most Improved Player in 2009-10.

A total of 43 players were drafted out of the Western Hockey League, including seven in the first round.

Beginning with the 1980 Entry Draft and continuing today, all 18, 19 and 20-year old North American and non-North American born players have been eligible to be drafted. In addition, non-North American players aged 21-years or older are eligible for claim. From 1987 to 1991, the selection of 18 and 19-year-old players was restricted to the first three rounds of the draft, unless the player met qualifying criteria that dealt with hockey experience in major junior, U.S. college and high school or European hockey. Starting with the 1992 Draft, those players were available in all rounds.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Radio-Canada provided the first live network television coverage in both English and French in 1984, coverage in the United States was first provided by SportsChannel America in 1989. This year's Entry Draft was seen in Canada on TSN and in the United States on Versus, and worldwide via the NHL Network and NHL.com.

For ticketing information, including ticket packages and season seats for the 2010-11 season, please contact the Silvertips' front office at (425) 252-5100. Silvertips news and information can be accessed online at www.everettsilvertips.com, through Twitter (@WHLsilvertips) and Facebook's Everett Silvertips Hockey Club fan page.

Check out the Everett Silvertips Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from June 26, 2010


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