More notes on Round 2, early item from Round 3
-- 21 of the first 60 selections were American. If there was any doubt, our friends to the south are now a hockey development power. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
-- Defenceman Mark Alt went 53rd overall to Buffalo. Alt is a state-championship winning quarterback from Cretin-Derham Hall high school in Minnesota. That school is an incubator for super athletes, including Minnesota Twins all-everything catcher Joe Mauer, and offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson, the No. 1 football recruit in the U.S. last year, who accepted a scholarship to USC. Alt was offered a football scholarship to University of Iowa, but has chosen to play hockey at the University of Minnesota.
-- Jason Zucker became the first Las Vegan ever drafted by the NHL. He went 59th overall to the Minnesota Wild.
-- The Leafs selected Erie Otters forward Greg McKegg with the second pick of the third round. McKegg bolstered his stock with a terrific tournament at the under-18 world championship in Belarus.
-- The Calgary Flames made their first pick at No. 64, and chose Max Reinhart, a centre from Kelowna in the WHL. Reinhart's father Paul played nine seasons with the Flames.
-- Mysterious Russian winger Kirill Kabanov was finally taken with the 65th pick, going to the New York Islanders. Kabanov's talent rates no worse than 10th in the draft. His circuitous route to this draft -- through two teams and four agents -- and his meddlesome parents scared many teams.