Sports stats



Players Selected To Add Depth and Toughness

May 24, 2005 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bozeman Icedogs News Release


The Bozeman ICEDOGS participated in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) combined processes of tender offers and the 2005 NAHL Entry Draft last week. Each team is given 10 tenders, which is simply a signed letter of intent. Tendering a player prevents other teams in the NAHL from drafting or recruiting that player. The tendering period ended at midnight on May 17th, hours prior to the 2005 Entry Draft which began later that morning via a conference call. The teams took slightly more than two hours to complete their selections of players who had not been offered tenders. This year's NAHL Entry Draft was a five-round selection process. All players with junior hockey eligibility remaining (that is, players who will not turn 21 before December 31, 2005) and who are not veteran players signed with another NAHL team are eligible to be tendered or then drafted. These drafted and tendered players make up two thirds of the three-pronged method by which NAHL teams secure talent for their future. Any player who is not tendered or drafted on May 17 is now considered a free agent and is eligible to attend an NAHL tryout camp. The list of tryout camps appears on NAHL.com.

The Bozeman ICEDOGS used their five draft picks in the NAHL draft to select three forwards, one defenseman and one goaltender. Their first pick, sixth overall, was used to select highly touted North Dakota Mr. Hockey award runner-up, Sam Aide (9/11/1986). The Mr. Hockey Award winner is selected by a panel of National Hockey League Scouts, Division I coaches and selected media members. This award is given to the top high school hockey player in North Dakota. Aide, a forward from Bismarck, ND, was the 6th leading scorer in the state with 26 goals and 21 assists, for a total of 47 points. Sam passed up a tender offer from Bismarck to play in Bozeman.

With their next two picks, the ICEDOGS chose two more forwards: Don Hallmark (9/25/1988) from Ontario, California and Luke Bennett (10/10/1986) from Anchorage, Alaska. Hallmark is a big power forward that is hard to knock off the puck. Don is a solid skater, puck handler, finisher, and aggressive checker. Although he was also drafted by the Des Moines Buccaneers in the USHL, Coach LaFontaine took the chance of drafting him. "Don has tremendous upside and is ready to step in right now. We felt he was worth the risk, with Des Moines returning a high number of forwards," he said. Bennett played Midget AAA for the Alaska All-Stars and was their leading scorer along with teammate Kyle Bailey (2/10/1988), who was tendered before the draft by the ICEDOGS. Coach LaFontaine knows the value of chemistry and took advantage of the opportunity to land two future stars that have played together in the past. "Bennett and Bailey know each other well on the ice and combined for most of the goals scored by the All Stars in the Pacific Regional Tournament. Bennett, who was born in the fall of 1988, is a playmaking centerman, who competes hard and understands the game well," he said.

The last two picks were used to select a goaltender and a defenseman. Goaltender Shawn Hunwick (4/9/1987) spent last season with the Michigan Midget AAA State Champion Victory Honda. Shawn posted an impressive 2.54 goals against average and a 94.18% save percentage. Alex Norman (7/5/1987) played for the Cleveland Barons Midget AAA team. Coach LaFontaine is excited about having the chance to work with Alex. "He was their leader on defense, developing into this role by using his large frame to play physical hockey and making good decisions with the puck."

The ICEDOGS used their ten tenders to sign one goalie, five defensemen, and four forwards. "We felt very good about our tender signings, focusing a little more on the defensive side of the ice. We have players that can come in right away and contribute," said LaFontaine.

"Ryan Block (11/8/1986) is a big, tough stay at home defenseman that understands his position well. He will keep the opposition on their toes as well as move the puck efficiently to our forwards. Bryant Molle (7/24/1987) and Brent Kettlekamp (2/7/1987) both have size and move the puck well. They read the ice quickly and rarely make a mistake with or without the puck. Brett Barta (4/3/1987) is a very quick and agile skater. He gaps up and positions himself well. With confidence, Brett could develop into an impact defenseman at the junior level. Chris Hendrickson (8/2/1986) is also in the steady, gritty reliable mold. He was a consistent competitor for the Honeybaked Midget AAA all season. Another tender, James Becker (8/24/1986), spent last season playing for the L.A. Selects team. He is an insistent, scrappy, and smart forward, has a scoring touch around the net, and never stops working. Cory Loos (8/2/1986) played for Moorhead High School last year. He uses his height and strength to bury the puck and keep the other team's defensemen on their heels. Cory plays with intelligence, both with and without the puck. Cody Omilusik (11/12/1986) is leaving the Marquette AAA team to come to Bozeman. He is a hard working and gritty center who competes strong and finishes well. Cody fearlessly attacks the net, and excels while in traffic," said LaFontaine. Devan Hartigan (3/1/1987) is the other goalie in this season's recruiting class. ICEDOGS' Assistant Coach Kevin Stone recruited Devan. "Devan competes very hard, ownes the front of the net, always seems to find the loose puck, and has better than average scrambling skills. One thing ICEDOGS' fans will enjoy is how quick Devan is, particularly when recovering from a save."

"Overall, we are excited about the upcoming season and are continuing to work hard to put a championship team on the ice," LaFontaine said.

• Discuss this story on the North American Hockey League message board...

North American Hockey League Stories from May 24, 2005


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Bozeman Icedogs Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central