Blizzard Discuss Draft
June 5, 2013 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Brookings Blizzard News Release
Going into the 2013 NAHL Entry Draft the Brookings Blizzard had a number of holes to fill on their roster. More than half of the team's playoff team was made up of players with '92 birth years, opening the door for a 2013-2014 squad that will be much younger and faster.
Blizzard assistant coach Chris Olson talked about the team's goals going into yesterday's draft.
"Through the draft our goal is to increase team speed, improve skill on the blue line, and find a goal tender to help share the load with returning starter Drew Weigman," said Olson. "We are very excited about the names on our draft list and believe our team next year will be young, fast, and have a high hockey I.Q."
In yesterday's 18 round draft, the Blizzard selected a total of 15 players with varying skill sets and experience.
Here is a breakdown of the yesterday's selections:
Pick (R.d) Name Position PreviousTeam DOB
16 (1) Jared Goudreau F Tampa Bay Jrs 5/7/95
28 (2) Garrett Cologne D Thunderbirds 3/7/94
41 (2) Travis Underwood F Bismarck Bobcats 9/29/93
51 (3) Nick Nitta D Dallas Stars 1/24/95
65 (3) Dominic Nitti D Wellington Dukes 2/21/94
90 (4) Garrett Schmitz D Steinbach Pistons 9/2/93
113 (5) Alex Thompson F Duluth Danfield 6/25/94
133 (6) Anthony Walsh F Edina H.S. 6/11/94
149 (7) Erik Hallin F NSA- Sweden 1/18/94
163 (8) Dylan Plitt F Comcast U18 6/1/94
175 (9) Mason Wyman F Flying Aces 6/26/93
184 (10) John Nitchen F RoughRiders 2/9/94
192 (11) Andy Jordahl F Edina H.S. 1/12/95
198 (12) Jono Lindquist F Bloomington H.S. 2/18/95
204 (13) AJ Rupert F Moundsview H.S. 4/13/95
Of the Blizzard's first six picks, four were defenseman. With veterans like Drew Brevig, Derek Sand, Jared Docken, and Matt Youso moving on, defense was obviously a priority for Coach Cory Laylin and Chris Olson.
"We picked up some strong, tough defenseman with great hands and that can skate very well," said Laylin. "We also have good mix of veteran guys that can come in and impact our team right away, but also some guys that we will be able to take our time with and develop."
The Blizzard have two more camps scheduled this summer. The first is the June 30th-July 2nd Invite-Futures Camp and the second is the Blizzard Main Camp scheduled for August 4th-6th. Both camps will be held in Alexandria, MN.
The Blizzard are in the process of finalizing their 2013-2014 schedule, which will be released in the next few weeks. The team anticipates playing 28 home games at the Larson Ice Center next year.
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North American Hockey League Stories from June 5, 2013
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- Roadrunners Draft Recap - Topeka Pilots
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- Blizzard Discuss Draft - Brookings Blizzard
- Warriors Add Five Forwards and Defenseman in 2013 NAHL Draft - Michigan Warriors
- Justin Quenneville Steps Down As IceRays Head Coach - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Wings Announce Draft Selections - Aberdeen Wings
- Tomahawks Select Five in 2013 NAHL Entry Draft - Johnstown Tomahawks
- Dan McNamara Commits to St. John's University in Minnesota - Amarillo Bulls
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