The NHL is bullish on DU hockey.
Doubt that? Consider this weekend’s NHL Entry Draft at Buffalo, N.Y.
Pioneers recruit Henrik Borgstrom was selected in the first round, 23rd overall, by the Florida Panthers on Friday night.
The coffee maker was still hard at work Saturday morning when sophomore-to-be Dylan Gambrell, a former Colorado Thunderbird, went in the second round, 60th overall, to the San Jose Sharks.
Sophomore-to-be defenseman Blake Hillman, who was the NCAA West Regional MVP during the Pioneers’ run to the Frozen Four, was selected in the sixth round, 173rd overall, by the Chicago Blackhawks.
Borgstrom is the fourth Pioneer ever to be selected in the first round, following Craig Redmond by the Los Angeles Kings in 1984, Joe Colborne by the Boston Bruins in 2008 and Beau Bennett by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010.
The 6-foot-3, 176-pound Borgstrom had 29 goals among his 55 points in 40 games in Finland’s top junior league. One knock on the highly skilled Borgstrom has been a lack of strength, not unlike some of the things said about Danton Heinen when Boston drafted him a few years ago. Two years later Heinen was noticeably stronger and the Bruins could not wait to sign the forward after the Pioneers’ run to the Frozen Four.
Florida general manager Tom Rowe on Borgstrom (to the Panthers’ official website): “We are very excited to have selected Henrik with our first-round pick. He is a big, exciting and highly skilled player that has had a strong season with the HIFK Jr. team overseas in Finland. He is heading to a strong program at the University of Denver that well help further his development. We look forward to his continued growth and contributions to our team and the South Florida community.”
The 5-11, 180-pound Gambrell was one of the Pioneers’ best players all season, piling up 47 points (including 17 goals) and teaming with Heinen and Trevor Moore form one of the top lines in all of NCAA hockey.
Not only was he the Pioneers’ second-highest scorer (after Heinen), but he an NCHC All-Rookie team pick and a finalist for the NCHC Rookie of the Year Award.
Gambrell is the fifth Pioneer to be selected in the second round, following defenseman Matt Carle by San Jose in 2003, forward Paul Stastny by the Colorado Avalanche in 2005, defenseman Patrick Wiercioch by the Ottawa Senators in 2008 and forward Jason Zucker by the Minnesota Wild in 2010.
Coach Jim Montgomery weighed in on Borgstrom and Gambrell in a previous post.
The 6-1, 180-pound Hillman was one of DU’s most-improved players, finishing with 11 points (three goals). Ten of Hillman’s points came fro
m Jan. 8. Like Gambrell, his special teams roles increased as the season went along.
Bennett, incidentally, was traded to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday for a third-round draft choice six years to the day after being the highest drafted Californian (20th overall) in 2010. Devils GM Ray Shero drafted Bennett while in the same capacity in Pittsburgh.
Good article, Mayhem.
All three DU players drafted this year ended up going higher then projected, which is a testament to the job Monty is doing to develop them. Borgstrom was projected by most to be a mid second round pick, while Gambrell was slotted as a third rounder. Both ended upgoing in a round higher. And Hillman was not expected to be drafted, but his confidence and play really improved down the stretch of last year, allowing him to be a sixth round pick.
By the way, a lot of other Pios have been second round NHL picks beyond the ones you mentioned, including Matt Pettinger, TJ Fast, William Wrenn. Geoff Paukovich and Keith Seabrook off the top of my head. Like Carle, Stastny, Zucker and Wieircioch, all of that second group of second-rounders thought they’d be better off leaving DU as underclassmen, and surprise, only Pettinger ever saw the NHL