This has been a crazy time of events before, during and after the NHL Draft. With the cap space, the Blackhawks had to make a hard choice, by trading forwards Akim Aliu, Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Eager and defenseman Brent Sopel for pick 24, and 54, forwards Jeremy Morin, Marty Reasoner and Joey Crabb from the Atlanta Thrashers. With a higher pick in the first round the Blackhawks had two, 24 and 30. The Draft for the Blackhawks started at pick 24 where they selected Kevin Hayes from Noble and Greenough School in Massachusetts. Kevin was born May 8, 1992 in Boston, Massachusetts. He is still only a kid, who will be playing at Boston College. If he is anything like his cousin, Keith Tkachuk, I am excited to have him on the team in the future. The Blackhawks also acquired his older brother, Jimmy Hayes, from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a draft pick. The other first round pick was traded to the Islanders for two second round picks. In the second round, the Blackhawks selected Ludvig Rensfeldt, the first swede to go in this years Draft at 35th overall. Rensfeldt was born January 29, 1992, in Gävle. He is currently playing in Brynäs J20 of SuperElit. Justin Holl was selected 54th overall and is currently playing for the Omaha Lancers on Defense. Kent Simpson picked 58th overall, the first goalie selected by the Blackhawks in this years draft, comes from the WHL's Everett Silvertips. Two picks later at 60 Stephen Johns was selected. The third round was quiet from the Blackhawks, with the only selection being forward Joakim Norstrom from AIK. The Blackhawks second Swede in the draft. The fourth round was also quiet with the only section being Rob Flick forward from Mississauga St. Micheals Majors from the OHL. The sixth round was a bit more active with the selection of forward Mirko Hofflin from Germany who plays from Mannheim Jr. and defensmen Nick Mattson from the Indiana Ice from the USHL. The final pick in the seventh round was goaltender Macmillian Carruth from the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL. Five players from the United States were selected, two from Canada, two from Sweden and one from Germany.
Deutschland! I like our selections, but there is no telling what any pick can do until we see them on the ice in the NHL. After all, a great player can come from anywhere and could be drafted in any round, if at all. I love that about the ice hockey.
Yeah same here. I am also happy to see brothers on the Hawks. Hopefully they can work together all the way up to the Blackhawks and become better than the Sedin Sisters.
