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Carolina Hurricanes Grab Jeff Skinner In First Round Of NHL Drafts

By Paul Branecky and Ken Preston,

Special To The Telegram

Monday, June 28, 2010

RALEIGH - On Friday, the Carolina Hurricanes selected forward Jeff Skinner of the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers with the seventh pick in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Skinner, age 18, completed his second OHL season in 2009-10, scoring a team-leading 50 regular-season goals to finish second among all OHL goal scorers.

The Markham, Ontario, native ranked tied for first in the OHL with 20 playoff goals, and second with 33 points, in the Rangers’ 20 postseason games before Kitchener’s playoff run ended against eventual Memorial Cup champion Windsor in Game 7 of the OHL Western Conference Finals.

In two seasons with the Rangers, Skinner (5’10”, 187 lbs.) has amassed 77 goals and earned 64 assists (141 points) in 127 regular-season games. Skinner’s career statistics are below.

Later Roster Action

On Saturday, the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team completed their activities at the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft at the Staples Center.

Carolina entered the draft’s second day with 10 picks in Rounds 2-7, and finished the day having selected seven players, as well as having made three trades.

The Hurricanes used their first pick of the draft’s second day (37th overall) to select defenseman Justin Faulk (6’0”, 196 lbs.) from the United States National Team Development Program. Faulk, 18, finished his 60-game season with 21 goals and 33 points, including a team-leading 14 power-play goals.

The South St. Paul, Minnesota, native is committed to the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs for the 2010-11 season.

Following the selection of Faulk, Carolina traded the 46th overall pick to Edmonton in exchange for forward Riley Nash. Nash, 21, completed his third season at Cornell University in 2009-10, scoring 12 goals and earning 23 assists (35 points) in 30 games.

The Consort, Alberta, native has scored 37 goals and earned 65 assists (102 points) in 102 collegiate games in his three seasons with the Big Red. Nash (6’1”, 175 lbs.), was selected by the Oilers in the first round, 21st overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

With the 53rd overall pick, the Hurricanes selected defenseman Mark Alt (6’3”, 199 lbs.) from Cretin-Derham High School in Minnesota.

The Kansas City, Missouri, native scored six goals and earned nine assists (15 points) in 21 games in 2009-10. Alt, 18, is the son of former NFL tackle Jon Alt, and, in 2009, quarterbacked Cretin-Derham to the school’s first state title since 1999, when Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer led the school to the championship.

Alt declined an offer to play football at his father’s alma mater, Iowa, to focus on his hockey career. He is committed to the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for the 2010-11 season.

In the third round, the Hurricanes used the 67th overall pick to select Harvard defenseman Danny Biega (6’0”, 191 lbs.). Biega, 18, completed his freshman season at Harvard University in 2009-10, scoring five goals and earning three assists in the Crimson’s 30 games. The Montreal, Que., native played alongside his two older brothers – Alex and Michael – last season as Harvard.

The Hurricanes used their second third-round pick (85th overall) to select Plymouth Whalers defenseman Austin Levi (6’3”, 192 lbs.). Levi, 18, scored three goals, earned nine assists (12 points), posted a plus-10 plus/minus rating and accumulated 116 penalty minutes while playing in all 68 of Plymouth’s 2009-10 regular-season games.

In the fourth round, Carolina used the 105th pick to select left wing Justin Shugg (5’11”, 184 lbs.).

The Niagara Falls, Ont., native ranked second in scoring on the Memorial Cup champion Windsor Spitfires behind the Draft’s No. 1 overall selection Taylor Hall. Shugg, 18, scored 39 goals and earned 40 assists to finish 10th in the Ontario Hockey League in regular-season goal scoring.

In the midst of the draft activity, Carolina acquired defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti from the New York Rangers, in exchange for the Hurricanes’ 2010 sixth-round pick (157th overall) and Washington’s 2011 second-round pick. Sanguinetti, 22, split 2009-10 between the Rangers and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

The Trenton, NJ, native scored nine goals, and earned 29 assists (38 points), in 61 AHL regular-season games last season. Sanguinetti (6’3”, 190 lbs.) has scored 15 goals and earned 69 assists (84 points) in 150 career AHL regular-season games with the Wolf Pack. He was drafted by the Rangers in the first round, 21st overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

With its sixth-round pick (167th overall), the Hurricanes chose defenseman Taylor Stahl (6’1”, 180 lbs.) from Chilliwack of the Western Hockey League. In 59 regular-season games, the Drumheller, Alb., native earned six assists and accumulated 146 penalty minutes, ranking second on the team in the latter category.

As the Draft entered the seventh and final round, Carolina completed its third and final trade of the day, acquiring forward Jonathan Matsumoto from Philadelphia. Matsumoto, 23, completed his third full season of professional hockey in 2009-10, leading the AHL’s Adirondack Phantoms with 30 goals and 62 points while playing in all 80 of the team’s regular-season games.

The Ottawa, Ontario, native has amassed 81 goals and 92 assists (173 points) in 251 AHL regular-season games with the Flyers’ affiliates. The Flyers drafted Matsumoto in the third round, 79th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

The Hurricanes wrapped up the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by selecting goaltender Frederik Andersen (6’4”, 220 lbs.) with the 187th overall pick. The Herning, Denmark, native represented his country at the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships in Germany in May 2010, posting a 1-1-0 record and a 3.50 goals-against average in his two games played.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Ken Preston and Paul Branecky work for the Carolina Hurricanes and cover the team for the Hurricanes’ website. Reprinted with permission from Hurricanes press office.

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