9 CCHA players picked in 2009 NHL draft
Nine players with Central Collegiate Hockey Association ties were taken in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, including one first-round pick in incoming Notre Dame freshman forward, Kyle Palmieri.
Palmieri was selected by the Anaheim Ducks 26th overall. A native of Montvale, N.J., was a member of the U.S. NDTP Under-18 Team this past season where he notched 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points in 33 games. The selection of Palmieri means that at least one player with CCHA ties has been taken in the first round for nine consecutive years.
Incoming Michigan freshman forward Chris Brown of Houston was the first player with CCHA ties to be drafted on day two, being selected in the second round at 36th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes. Brown notched 15 goals and 13 assists for 28 points in 53 games for the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team in 2008-09.
Another future Wolverine forward was selected in the second round as Kevin Lynch of Grosse Pointe, Mich., was picked 56th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets. A teammate of Brown’s with the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team, Lynch registered an 18-19-37 scoring line in 54 games in 2008-09.
Reilly Smith of Toronto, an incoming freshman forward for the Miami Redhawks, was selected in the third round and 69th overall by the Dallas Stars. Smith played for the St. Michael’s Buzzers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Defenseman Kevin Connauton of Western Michigan became the first player that played in the CCHA in 2008-09 to be drafted in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, going to the Vancouver Canucks in the third round at 83rd overall. Connauton had a scoring line of 7-10-17 for the Broncos this past season.
"It’s pretty surreal," Connauton said. "I wasn’t expecting to go this high and I was really excited to see my name up there."
Chris Wideman of Miami became the second player with Redhawk ties to be taken Saturday. The Redhawk defenseman was taken in the fourth round at 100th overall by the Ottawa Senators. Wideman led last year’s Miami squad with 26 assists in 39 games.
Miami incoming freshman forward Curtis McKenzie of Golden, British Columbia, was selected in the sixth round by Dallas at 159th overall. McKenzie led the Pentiction Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League in scoring in 2008-09 with 30 goals and 34 assists for 64 points in 53 games.
Miami’s Connor Knapp, a rising sophomore goaltender for the Redhawks, was taken just five picks later by the Buffalo Sabres. Knapp saw action in 23 games for the Redhawks this past season and posted a 2.09 goals-against average.
The final player with CCHA ties to be taken was Bowling Green incoming freshman forward Jordan Samuels-Thomas. Samuels-Thomas, who had a scoring line of 32-22-54 for the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL in 2008-09, was selected in the seventh round at 203rd overall by the Atlanta Thrashers.
CCHA By Round: second, third and sixth rounds (2); first, fourth and seventh (1)
CCHA By Position: forwards (6); defensemen (2); goaltenders (1)
CCHA By NHL Team: Dallas (2); Anaheim, Atlanta, Buffalo, Columbus, Ottawa, Phoenix and Vancouver, (1)
| Rd. |
No. |
Selected |
Name, School |
Pos. |
Yr. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Age |
Hometown |
| 1 |
26 |
Anaheim |
Kyle Palmieri, Notre Dame* |
F |
Fr. |
5-10 |
191 |
18 |
Montvale, NJ |
| 2 |
36 |
Phoenix |
Chris Brown, Michigan* |
F |
Fr. |
6-2 |
191 |
18 |
Houston, TX |
| 2 |
56 |
Columbus |
Kevin Lynch, Michigan* |
F |
Fr. |
6-1 |
192 |
18 |
Gross Pointe, MI |
| 3 |
69 |
Dallas |
Reilly Smith, Miami* |
F |
Fr. |
6-0 |
170 |
18 |
Toronto, Ont. |
| 3 |
83 |
Vancouver |
Kevin Connauton, Western Michigan |
D |
So. |
6-1 |
185 |
19 |
Edmonton, Ab. |
| 4 |
100 |
Ottawa |
Chris Wideman, Miami |
D |
So. |
5-10 |
177 |
19 |
St. Louis, MO |
| 6 |
159 |
Dallas |
Curtis McKenzie, Miami* |
D |
Fr. |
6-1 |
192 |
18 |
Golden, BC |
| 6 |
164 |
Buffalo |
Connor Knapp, Miami |
G |
So. |
6-5 |
215 |
19 |
York, NY |
| 7 |
203 |
Atlanta |
Jordan Samuels-Thomas, BGSU* |
F |
Fr. |
6-2 |
190 |
19 |
Windsor, CT |
Note - Yr. is the year in school as of the start of the 2009-10 season;* - indicates incoming freshman;
** - indicates signing for 2009-10 season; Ages as of October 1, 2009