Rage Lose LeBlanc in CHL Expansion Draft
Published on June 13, 2008 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Rocky Mountain Rage News Release
Phoenix, Ariz. - The Rapid City (S.D.) Rush selected Rocky Mountain Rage rookie forward Derek LeBlanc as one of their five picks in today's Central Hockey League Expansion Draft. LeBlanc appeared in the final five games last season for the Rage, recording one assist and four penalty minutes.
"It's always a tough decision to determine who to leave exposed in a draft like this, and the fact that Derek was selected speaks to his promise as a young player in our league," said Rage Head Coach and General Manager Tracy Egeland. "The flip side is that we were able to protect the rights to those players we hope will make up the core of our team next year, and we look forward to announcing the return of some of those players in the near future."
The Rush, who begin play in the CHL's upcoming 2008-09 season in the brand new Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Arena, selected LeBlanc from a list of 60 players (four per team) made available from each of the other 15 CHL teams. Rush Head Coach Joe Ferras made the following selections:
Forward - Garrett Prosofsky (Oklahoma City Blazers)
Defenseman - Cody Blanshan (Mississippi RiverKings)
Forward - Mike Lukajic (Wichita Thunder)
Forward - Derek LeBlanc (Rocky Mountain Rage)
Goaltender - Mike Minard (New Mexico Scorpions, rights traded from Rapid City to Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees in exchange for future considerations)
The Expansion Draft took place at the CHL's Annual Summer Conference currently being held in Phoenix.
LeBlanc was signed by the Rage on March 15th of last season for the final two weeks of the regular season. He joined Rocky Mountain out of the University of Lethbridge following a four-year career in the Western Hockey League. If he ends up signing a contract with Rapid City, the 6-foot-2, 210 lb. native of Manitoba will retain his rookie status because he only played in five games with the Rage.
Season tickets for the 2008-09 CHL campaign at Broomfield Event Center are on sale now with packages beginning as low as $560 per seat. For more information, visit www.rockymountainrage.com, or contact the Rage Ticket Sales Staff at (303) 439-RAGE or tickets@broomfieldsports.com.
Central Hockey League Stories from June 13, 2008
- Minard Selected In Expansion Draft - New Mexico Scorpions
- Rage Lose LeBlanc in CHL Expansion Draft - Rocky Mountain Rage
- Citations Against Borsheim Dropped - Colorado Eagles
- Blanshan Claimed By Rapid City In Expansion Draft - CHL
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