Mallards Take Hanson, Eight from Minnesota in Draft
Published on March 11, 2003 under United Hockey League (UHL)
Quad City Mallards News Release
Moline, IL â The Quad City Mallards used the first overall selection in Tuesday's United Hockey League North American Draft to reacquire gritty winger Mike Hanson, who played for the Mallards in the 1999 playoffs after completing his major junior career.
Continuing the Mallards tradition of quality players from the state of Minnesota contributing to the team's success, they used their eight other selections in the six-round draft to obtain the rights to college players who are either from Minnesota schools, or are Minnesota natives, or both.
Players who are at least 19 years old and have never played a UHL regular season game are eligible for the draft. Each team may name four of their choices as possible add-ons for the playoffs. Two of them may be put on the playoff roster without meeting the usual requirement that they play six regular season games.
Hanson, a 24-year-old native of Oakville, Ontario, played four years of major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League, finishing with a 58-point season, on 28 goals and 30 assists, for the Windsor Spitfires in 1998-99. Following the season, he joined the Mallards in the playoffs, playing in eight games, firing ten shots on goal, and being assessed 21 penalty minutes.
Hanson then returned to Canada and competed for four seasons for St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He completed his senior season with 39 points, on 16 goals and 23 assists, in 28 games. He is expected to join the Mallards on Wednesday. Quad City obtained the first overall pick from Kalamazoo (and the first pick in the second round) in the trade that sent defenseman Dan Hodge and center Shawn Roed to the Wings and goaltender Jeff Reynaert to the Mallards.
With the second overall choice, the Mallards took 6-foot, 205-pound defenseman Adam Kragthorpe from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where he was a two-time All-America selection and an all-conference performer all four years. Kragthorpe is a 23-year-old native of Plymouth, Minn. The pick was obtained from Rockford in the off-season trade that sent the rights to goaltender Brant Nicklin to the IceHogs and the rights to centers Brian Bolf and Jason Ulmer to Quad City.
With their own selection at the end of the first round, the tenth overall, the Mallards picked high-scoring forward B.J. Abel from Minnesota State-Mankato, where he played his freshman year during defenseman Andy Fermoyle's senior season of 1999-2000. The 23-year-old Rochester, Minn., native led the Mustangs seniors in goals, assists, and points this season and is a two-time WCHA All-Academic selection.
With the first pick in the second round, obtained from Kalamazoo, Quad City selected the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, center Jaro Cesky (pronounced "YAH-ro SESS-kee") from the Czech Republic. Cesky led Augsburg College in scoring all four years there, following in the footsteps of another successful Mallards draft pick, center Martin Hlinka, who led the Auggies in scoring each of the previous three years. Cesky received all-MIAC first-team honors all for years at Augsburg.
The Mallards' own second round pick is center Joe Motzko, a 22-year-old from Bemidji, Minn. He is the all-time leader in assists and shots on goal at St. Cloud (Minn.) State, the same school that produced 2001-02 Mallards rookie standout Brandon Sampair, as well as current NHL players Tyler Arnason (Chicago Blackhawks) and Mark Hartigan (Atlanta Thrashers). Motzko ranks second in school history in points and fourth in goals.
In the third round, the Mallards chose goaltender Rob Anderson from University of Minnesota-Duluth. As a freshman, Anderson split time in goal with Brant Nicklin, who played for Quad City last season and is currently with the Rockford IceHogs. Anderson, a 22-year-old native of Superior, Wisc., has played 77 games with the Bulldogs, posting a 24-36-5 record with a 3.58 goals against average and an .892 save percentage.
Quad City picked Anderson's teammate, center Jon Francisco, in the fourth round. The Bulldogs' captain this season, the 22-year-old from Hermantown, Minn., has averaged nearly a point per game during his junior and senior seasons. Francisco was one of only 40 players selected to try out for Team USA at the 2000 World Junior Championship tryout camp in Lake Placid, N.Y.
In the fifth round, the Mallards selected defenseman Peter Runkel from Minnesota State-Mankato. The 24-year-old hails from Eagan, Minn., the same hometown as former Mallards defenseman Dan Bjornlie. A college teammate of Andy Fermoyle and of tenth overall selection B.J. Abel, Runkel is a three-time Western Collegiate Hockey Association All-Academic honoree.
In the sixth round, Quad City chose St. Cloud State forward Jon Cullen, who ranked second on the Huskies this season in assists and points. A college teammate of 2001-02 Mallard Brandon Sampair and of fellow draftee Joe Motzko, the 25-year-old from Alexandria, Minn., is a cousin of Matt Cullen of the NHL's Florida Panthers. Cullen began the season with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, where former Mallards head coach Paul MacLean is an assistant coach.
United Hockey League Stories from March 11, 2003
- Mark McFarlane returns to Quad City - Quad City Mallards
- IceHawks Grab Fifth Straight Win, 3-2, Over K-Wings - Adirondack Frostbite
- Mallards Take Hanson, Eight from Minnesota in Draft - Quad City Mallards
- Beacons Rewind - Port Huron Flags
- River Otters to Wear Special St. Patrick's Day Jerseys on March 14 against Rockford; Jersey Auction - Missouri River Otters
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