A handful of players with Minnesota connections were taken in Saturday’s NHL Entry Draft, including four future Minnesota Gophers.
Jack Sadek, a defenseman who was on the state championship Lakeville North team last winter, was drafted in the seventh round by the Minnesota Wild.
Proud to be a part of the @mnwild organization and the Minnesota State of Hockey! #Hometown
— Jack Sadek (@JackSadek16) June 27, 2015
“I don’t even know what to say,” Sadek said, according to the Pioneer Press. “I’ve dreamed about it my whole life, and now it’s the Wild. It’s awesome.”
Sadek has committed to playing for the Gophers in the fall.
Sadek spoke to WildTV following being drafted by his hometown team. Watch the interview here.
Tom Novak, a center from River Falls, Wisconsin, who was born in St. Paul, was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the third round. He has committed to play for the Gophers next fall as well.
Novak told the Pioneer Press he knows little about Nashville, but “heard it’s pretty fun down there.”
https://twitter.com/paraloschicos15/status/614846868514865153
The two other future Gophers who were drafted Saturday include Michigan native Brent Gates Jr. and Edina-native Ryan Zuhlsdorf, the Pioneer Press says.
Gates was drafted in the third round by Anaheim, the U of M said in a news release.
https://twitter.com/brentgatesjr/status/614830441535700993
Zuhlsdorf was picked in the fifth round by Tampa Bay – however he’s not expected to enroll at the University of Minnesota until 2016, the Pioneer Press notes.
So honored and excited to be drafted by the @TBLightning! Thank you so much to everyone that has helped me along the way.
— Ryan Zuhlsdorf (@Shaka_Zulu5) June 27, 2015
Here’s a look at where the other Minnesotans are going on to play:
- Brock Boeser, a right winger from Burnsville, was drafted by Vancouver in the first round. He has committed to play at North Dakota.
- Paul Bittner, a left winer from Crookston, was drafted in the second round by Columbus.
- Will Borgen, a defenseman from Moorhead, was drafted in the fourth round by Buffalo. He has committed to St. Cloud State.
- Jack Becker, of Mahtomedi, was drafted in the seventh round by Boston. He has committed to playing for Wisconsin.
- Evan Smith, a goalie from Colorado, who played in the NAHL for the Austin Bruins, was picked in the seventh round by the Nashville Predators, ABC 6 reports.
The Wild drafted Sadek, as well as six other players including Minnesota’s first pick: Joel Eriksson Ek of Sweden. (For a full list of the players the Wild drafted, click here.)
Proud to be a part of the @mnwild organization and the Minnesota State of Hockey! #Hometown
— Jack Sadek (@JackSadek16) June 27, 2015
#NHLDraft breakdown by birthplace:
CAN 79
USA 55
SWE 19
RUS 17
FIN 13
CZE 11
SVK 5
SWT 4
LAT 3
CHN 1
GER 1
NTH 1
UKR 1— NHL (@NHL) June 28, 2015
