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I'm So High Right Now
LOS ANGELES -- On Oct. 14, 1967, the first NHL game was played in California when the Los Angeles Kings played the Philadelphia Flyers. Now, 43 years later, the first Entry Draft will be held in Los Angeles, when the 2010 selection extravaganza takes place at Staples Center on Friday and Saturday.
In commemoration of the event, here are 43 things you should know heading into the draft. Friday's first round can be seen starting at 7 p.m. ET on Versus in the U.S. and TSN in Canada. Rounds 2-7 on Saturday can be seen starting at 1 p.m. ET on the NHL Network.
1. With Plymouth's Tyler Seguin or Windsor's Taylor Hall expected to be the No. 1 pick, it would mark the fourth-straight year a player from the Ontario Hockey League was chosen first at the draft, following John Tavares (2009), Steven Stamkos (2008) and Patrick Kane (2007).
2. The Kings played their first game at the Long Beach Arena; NHL Central Scouting's top-rated U.S.-born player, Emerson Etem of the Medicine Hat Tigers, was born in Long Beach.
3. Windsor Spitfires defenseman Cam Fowler was born in Windsor, Ont., but moved to Michigan when he was 2, and holds dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship.
4. Five of the top six defensemen with the U.S. National Team Development Program are ranked by NHL Central Scouting among the top 56 skaters for the draft -- Derek Forbort (No. 6), Jonathan Merrill (No. 20), Stephen Johns (No. 35), Jarred Tinordi (No. 38) and Justin Faulk (No. 56).
5. Cretin-Derham High School defenseman Mark Alt's father, John, played 13 years at left tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs and is in the club's Hall of Fame.
6. Growing up in Murray River, PEI, Moncton Wildcats defenseman Brandon Gormley’s babysitter was Paige Richards, sister of Dallas Stars center Brad Richards.
7. Growing up in Boca Raton, Fla., Erie Otters forward Andrew Yogan was a national karate champion.
8. When Red Deer Rebels defenseman Alexander Petrovic was asked by the team's Web site what he would be doing if he wasn't playing hockey, his answer was: Welding.
9. The draft isn't the biggest event of the summer for Kingston Frontenacs defenseman Eric Gudbranson. He has Aug. 18 circled on his calendar, as that's the day his younger brother, Dennis, celebrates five years free of cancer. Dennis Gudbranson twice was diagnosed with leukemia before he turned 7. Now 12 years old, Dennis is an avid hockey player.
10. The WHL's Portland Winterhawks could see three players picked in the first round -- their top line of Ryan Johansen, Nino Niederreiter and Brad Ross, along with defenseman Troy Rutkowski. The last time one team had three players picked in the first round was 2007, when the U.S. National Team saw James van Riemsdyk (No. 2, Philadelphia), Kevin Shattenkirk (No. 14, Colorado) and Ian Cole (No. 18, St. Louis) taken among the first 30. The last time a CHL team had three players picked in the first round was 2004, when three members of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen were taken -- Andrew Ladd (No. 4, Carolina), Jeff Schultz (No. 27, Washington), and Andy Rogers (No. 30, Tampa Bay).
11. Niederreiter, No. 12 in Central Scouting's final rankings, could become the highest Swiss-born player ever drafted. In 1997, Edmonton selected Michel Riesen with the No. 14 pick. Riesen played 12 games with the Oilers during the 2000-01 season, then returned to Switzerland.
12. Prior to this past season, the last time the Kings made the Stanley Cup Playoffs was 2002. At the 2002 Draft, they had the 18th pick. This year, the Kings have the 19th pick.
13. What do Sergei Kostitsyn, Anton Stralman, Kyle Cumiskey and Patric Hornqvist have in common? All were seventh-round picks at the 2005 Entry Draft; five years later, they all made impacts on their NHL teams this past season. Moral of the story -- not all NHL players are drafted in the first round, so watching both days of the draft is key.
14. Emerson Etem and Niagara's Freddie Hamilton both come from a family of rowers. Etem's mother rowed on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, his father rowed at the Naval Academy and his brother and sister are involved with USA Rowing. Hamilton's father rowed his way to a bronze medal for Canada at the 1984 Olympics.
15. Portland center Ryan Johansen was just 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds when the Winterhawks selected him at age 15 in the WHL Bantam draft. Three years later, he measures in at 6-2 and 192 pounds.
16. Peterborough Petes forward Austin Watson will have one of the loudest cheering sections at Staples Center. He's the oldest of nine kids, and all will be in Los Angeles, along with his parents and a soon-to-be-born 10th Watson sibling.
17. Warroad (Minn.) High center Brock Nelson comes from Olympic hockey royalty. His uncle, Dave Christian, played on the 1980 U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Lake Placid, and his grandfather, Billy Christian, and great uncle, Roger Christian, won gold medals playing for the 1960 U.S. Olympic team at Squaw Valley. They also founded the Christian Brothers hockey equipment company.
18. If hockey doesn't work for Moose Jaw Warriors defenseman Dylan McIlrath, he always can go back to volleyball. Before going into hockey full-time, he had been offered college scholarships to play the sport.
19. Moose Jaw center Quinton Howden is considered one of the draft's elite skaters even though one leg is shorter than the other, due to a childhood bicycle accident that saw his right femur broken so badly he had to spend two months in a chest-to-toe cast and had to learn how to walk again at age 6.
20. While Jaden Schwartz celebrates being selected at the draft, his thoughts are with his older sister Mandi, who is battling leukemia and in need of a stem-cell transplant. For information on how to become a stem cell donor or for more information on Mandi Schwartz, please visit "Please Become My Hero" or onematch.com.
In commemoration of the event, here are 43 things you should know heading into the draft. Friday's first round can be seen starting at 7 p.m. ET on Versus in the U.S. and TSN in Canada. Rounds 2-7 on Saturday can be seen starting at 1 p.m. ET on the NHL Network.
1. With Plymouth's Tyler Seguin or Windsor's Taylor Hall expected to be the No. 1 pick, it would mark the fourth-straight year a player from the Ontario Hockey League was chosen first at the draft, following John Tavares (2009), Steven Stamkos (2008) and Patrick Kane (2007).
2. The Kings played their first game at the Long Beach Arena; NHL Central Scouting's top-rated U.S.-born player, Emerson Etem of the Medicine Hat Tigers, was born in Long Beach.
3. Windsor Spitfires defenseman Cam Fowler was born in Windsor, Ont., but moved to Michigan when he was 2, and holds dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship.
4. Five of the top six defensemen with the U.S. National Team Development Program are ranked by NHL Central Scouting among the top 56 skaters for the draft -- Derek Forbort (No. 6), Jonathan Merrill (No. 20), Stephen Johns (No. 35), Jarred Tinordi (No. 38) and Justin Faulk (No. 56).
5. Cretin-Derham High School defenseman Mark Alt's father, John, played 13 years at left tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs and is in the club's Hall of Fame.
6. Growing up in Murray River, PEI, Moncton Wildcats defenseman Brandon Gormley’s babysitter was Paige Richards, sister of Dallas Stars center Brad Richards.
7. Growing up in Boca Raton, Fla., Erie Otters forward Andrew Yogan was a national karate champion.
8. When Red Deer Rebels defenseman Alexander Petrovic was asked by the team's Web site what he would be doing if he wasn't playing hockey, his answer was: Welding.
9. The draft isn't the biggest event of the summer for Kingston Frontenacs defenseman Eric Gudbranson. He has Aug. 18 circled on his calendar, as that's the day his younger brother, Dennis, celebrates five years free of cancer. Dennis Gudbranson twice was diagnosed with leukemia before he turned 7. Now 12 years old, Dennis is an avid hockey player.
10. The WHL's Portland Winterhawks could see three players picked in the first round -- their top line of Ryan Johansen, Nino Niederreiter and Brad Ross, along with defenseman Troy Rutkowski. The last time one team had three players picked in the first round was 2007, when the U.S. National Team saw James van Riemsdyk (No. 2, Philadelphia), Kevin Shattenkirk (No. 14, Colorado) and Ian Cole (No. 18, St. Louis) taken among the first 30. The last time a CHL team had three players picked in the first round was 2004, when three members of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen were taken -- Andrew Ladd (No. 4, Carolina), Jeff Schultz (No. 27, Washington), and Andy Rogers (No. 30, Tampa Bay).
11. Niederreiter, No. 12 in Central Scouting's final rankings, could become the highest Swiss-born player ever drafted. In 1997, Edmonton selected Michel Riesen with the No. 14 pick. Riesen played 12 games with the Oilers during the 2000-01 season, then returned to Switzerland.
12. Prior to this past season, the last time the Kings made the Stanley Cup Playoffs was 2002. At the 2002 Draft, they had the 18th pick. This year, the Kings have the 19th pick.
13. What do Sergei Kostitsyn, Anton Stralman, Kyle Cumiskey and Patric Hornqvist have in common? All were seventh-round picks at the 2005 Entry Draft; five years later, they all made impacts on their NHL teams this past season. Moral of the story -- not all NHL players are drafted in the first round, so watching both days of the draft is key.
14. Emerson Etem and Niagara's Freddie Hamilton both come from a family of rowers. Etem's mother rowed on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, his father rowed at the Naval Academy and his brother and sister are involved with USA Rowing. Hamilton's father rowed his way to a bronze medal for Canada at the 1984 Olympics.
15. Portland center Ryan Johansen was just 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds when the Winterhawks selected him at age 15 in the WHL Bantam draft. Three years later, he measures in at 6-2 and 192 pounds.
16. Peterborough Petes forward Austin Watson will have one of the loudest cheering sections at Staples Center. He's the oldest of nine kids, and all will be in Los Angeles, along with his parents and a soon-to-be-born 10th Watson sibling.
17. Warroad (Minn.) High center Brock Nelson comes from Olympic hockey royalty. His uncle, Dave Christian, played on the 1980 U.S. Olympic team that won gold in Lake Placid, and his grandfather, Billy Christian, and great uncle, Roger Christian, won gold medals playing for the 1960 U.S. Olympic team at Squaw Valley. They also founded the Christian Brothers hockey equipment company.
18. If hockey doesn't work for Moose Jaw Warriors defenseman Dylan McIlrath, he always can go back to volleyball. Before going into hockey full-time, he had been offered college scholarships to play the sport.
19. Moose Jaw center Quinton Howden is considered one of the draft's elite skaters even though one leg is shorter than the other, due to a childhood bicycle accident that saw his right femur broken so badly he had to spend two months in a chest-to-toe cast and had to learn how to walk again at age 6.
20. While Jaden Schwartz celebrates being selected at the draft, his thoughts are with his older sister Mandi, who is battling leukemia and in need of a stem-cell transplant. For information on how to become a stem cell donor or for more information on Mandi Schwartz, please visit "Please Become My Hero" or onematch.com.