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WHL Edmonton Oil Kings

Historic Day for Oil Kings at 2011 NHL Draft

June 25, 2011 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release


St. Paul, MN - Edmonton Oil Kings Keegan Lowe and Travis Ewanyk were selected back to back in the third round of the 2011 NHL Draft today in Minnesota, with the defenceman Lowe going 73rd overall to the Carolina Hurricanes and the centre Ewanyk taken 74th overall by his hometown Edmonton Oilers.

Their Oil Kings teammate, centre Michael St. Croix, was selected soon after by the New York Rangers, 106th overall in the fourth round, while Oil Kings goalie Laurent Brossoit was taken in the sixth round, 164th overall, by the Calgary Flames, rounding out a hugely positive day for the hockey club.

"We are very excited for the opportunity for our guys and very proud of them for what they've accomplished today," Oil Kings General Manager Bob Green said of his squad's four NHL draft selections. "It's been a great day for the Oil Kings."

Lowe (Edmonton, AB) was a force on the Oil Kings' back end this season alongside defensive partner and 2010 Buffalo Sabres first-round draft pick Mark Pysyk. The 6-foot-1, 176-pound blue-liner scored two goals and 22 assists for 24 points in 71 games and led the team with a phenomenal plus-33 rating. Lowe is a dual citizen and captured a silver medal with Team USA at the 2010 U-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament last summer.

"It's an unbelievable feeling and such a whirlwind day for me that everything is only just starting to sink in," Lowe said early Saturday afternoon. "When I heard my name called I got up and my legs started shaking, I thought I was going to fall over. It still feels like I'm floating. I'm told Carolina has a really good development program and really good management, so I'm so happy to be a part of their organization. And it's so great to see three of my teammates drafted today as well. It says a lot about our future. We have such a great up-and-coming team."

Ewanyk (St. Albert, AB) was one of two Oil Kings to play in all 72 regular season games this year and finished ninth in team scoring with 16 goals and 27 total points. The 6-foot-0, 178-pound power forward also led the team in shorthanded goals with four and was Edmonton's go-to defender to battle Red Deer Rebels superstar and Oilers 2011 first-overall draft pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the first round of the WHL playoffs. Ewanyk also had an impressive showing with Team Canada at the 2011 World U-18 Championship.

"I was always hoping I would get picked by the Oilers but I had no idea that dream would actually come true ... what an awesome feeling ... I can't even describe it," Ewanyk said shortly after being selected by Edmonton. "I've followed the Oilers closely my whole life and they've always been my favourite team, so this is just an amazing day."

St. Croix (Winnipeg, MB) was the Oil Kings' second-leading scorer during the 2010-11 WHL regular season, as he tallied 27 goals and 48 assists for 75 points in 68 games, setting a new modern franchise record for assists in a single season, and giving him the franchise lead in career points. The 5-foot-11, 179-pound sniper also won play-of-the-year honours in the WHL this season for the one-handed goal he scored versus Vancouver.

"I'm at a loss for words right now ... this is a dream come true to get drafted," St. Croix said soon after the Rangers selected him. "It's definitely nerve-racking waiting for your name to be called, but when it finally was it's the greatest feeling in the world. I feel very fortunate to be drafted by New York and I'm really looking forward to going there and meeting everyone in the organization. This is such an exciting time for me."

Brossoit (Surrey, B.C.) played his first full season between the pipes with the Oil Kings this year and posted a 13-12-0-2 record with a 3.32 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage. A towering presence in the net at 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, Brossoit also recorded a pair of shutouts this year. He was the top-ranked draft-eligible goaltender from the WHL, ranked seventh among North American netminders.

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