Lightning make six selections, one trade on day two of 2004 NHL Entry Draft
June 27, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release
RALEIGH, N.C. - The Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL affiliate of the Springfield Falcons, selected six players today as rounds 4-9 were completed at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft at the RBC Center in Raleigh. Over two days, the Lightning chose eight players, starting with Andy Rogers from Calgary of the Western Hockey League with the #30 overall selection in the first round.
"Considering this was a bit of a lean year by some standards, I think we did a good job of finding Tampa Bay Lightning-type players that will fit in well in our organization," Lightning Head Scout Jake Goertzen said. "We addressed some of our size issues â we wanted to make sure we got bigger. It was a good draft as far as adding depth in a lot of positions."
With the #102 choice in the fourth round, the Lightning selected Mike Lundin of the University of Maine. A 6-foot-2, 180-pound native of Burnsville, Minnesota, Lundin scored three goals and had 14 assists in 36 games with the Black Bears in 2003-04. Lundin was selected the Associated Press Minnesota High School Player of the Year in 2002-03 while playing for Apple Valley High School before joining Maine in 2003-04.
Tampa Bay then acquired the 158th overall pick in the fifth round and the 188th and 191st picks in the sixth round of this year's draft from Philadelphia in exchange for the Lightning's third round pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
In the fifth round the Lightning selected defenseman Brandon Elliot from the Mississauga Ice Dogs of the Ontario Hockey League with the 158th overall pick acquired from Philadelphia. The 6-foot-4, 220- pound native of Orangeville, Ontario recorded four assists and 89 penalty minutes in 30 games with the Ice Dogs in this season.
With the 163rd overall pick the Lightning selected center/left wing Dustin Collins from Northern Michigan University from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. Collins, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound native of Gilbert, Arizona, recorded seven points (1-6-7) in 36 games with the Wildcats in 2003-04.
Tampa Bay used the 188th overall pick in the sixth round acquired from Philadelphia to select Defenseman Jan Zapletal from Vsetin of the Czech Junior League. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound native of Brno, Czech Republic had two goals and four assists in 51 games this season. He has played in a total of 14 playoff games in his two seasons with Vsetin.
The Lightning selected their first goaltender of the draft with the 191st overall pick in the sixth round, choosing Karri Ramo from Pelicans of the Finnish Junior League. The 6-foot-2, 192-pound native of Asikkala, Finland appeared in 18 games with Pelicans this season posting a 3.31 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. He also appeared in three games for Pelicans of the Finnish Elite League.
With pick #245 in the eighth round, Tampa Bay selected Justin Keller from the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. Keller, a 5-foot-10, 174 native of Nelson, British Columbia, scored 25 goals and tallied 21 assists in 72 games with Kelowna. He finished the 2003-04 season second on Rockets in points (46) and goals (25), and sixth in assists (21). Keller helped lead the Rockets to the 2004 Memorial Cup title, scoring the winning goal late in the third period of the championship game vs. Gatineau. He recorded four goals and five assists in 14 playoff games.
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