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OHL North Bay Battalion

Calgary Opts for Bruce at NHL Draft

June 27, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - Defenceman Riley Bruce of the North Bay Battalion was selected Saturday by the Calgary Flames in the seventh round of the National Hockey League Draft at Sunrise, Fla.

Bruce, a six-foot-six, 207-pound resident of Carp, Ont., has played two Ontario Hockey League seasons with the Battalion, registering seven assists in 109 games with 71 penalty minutes. In 30 playoff games over two years, he has one goal and one assist for two points with 15 penalty minutes.

Bruce, a third-round choice by North Bay in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection from the Ottawa Valley Titans minor midgets, turns 18 on July 16.

"I'm super excited about being drafted," Bruce, the 196th overall selection, said by telephone from home. "Right after I was picked I got a call from the Flames and talked to six or seven of their staff. They congratulated me and talked to me about their development camp.

"The next step for me is to train hard this summer, head to the Flames' development camp and get prepared for next season in North Bay."

The development camp opens next weekend at Calgary Olympic Park.

The Flames, who didn't have a first-round selection after sending it to the Boston Bruins on Friday as part of a three-pick package for defenceman Dougie Hamilton, made Bruce the fifth and last of their selections.

Calgary took two defencemen in the second round, including Swedish import Rasmus Andersson of the OHL's Barrie Colts. The Flames' second of two left wingers chosen, in the sixth round, was Barrie's Andrew Mangiapane.

Bruce became the 40th Battalion selection, in what's now known simply as the NHL Draft, since the franchise started play in Brampton in 1998-99. Thirty-nine different Troops have been selected, with rearguard Paul Flache selected twice, in 2000 by the Edmonton Oilers and in 2002 by the Atlanta Thrashers.

Players are first-time eligible for the NHL Draft in the year in which they turn 18, unless they're born Sept. 16 or later, in which case they must wait until the following year.

The 30 NHL clubs selected a total of 211 players in the seven-round process, in which centre Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters was the No. 1 pick, on Friday night.

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