FRISCO, TX – With 12 players aging out of junior hockey eligibility, the Bismarck Bobcats have some big needs to address Thursday when the 2012-13 North American Hockey League Entry Draft begins at 1:00 PM Central Time.
The outgoing roster of players from last season’s team born in 1991 includes seven forwards, four defensemen and one goalie.
Though more forwards are departing, the coaches are targeting defense as a primary need in Thursday’s Draft.
“We’re losing over half of our starting defense from our final roster, so we’re definitely going to be looking for some ‘D’ in the Draft,” assessed Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie. “But our scouting staff of myself, [assistant coach] Garrett Roth, Aaron Venasky and Aaron Kinslow have put together a good draft board of all three positions that we feel like will put us in a great position to contend once again for a Central Division title.”
The Bobcats’ protected list—comprising returning veterans and players signed to pre-draft tender agreements—sits at 20, giving them 10 selections in the Draft.
Any player born on or after January 1, 1992, is eligible to be drafted.
Last year’s draft yielded high-scoring blueliner Bryce Anderson and the strong and speedy Ryan Callahan up front.
Following a pair of strong pre-draft tryout camps in Minneapolis and Denver, along with a busy season of scouting, the Bobcats are excited at what could be, in terms of securing future talent, on Thursday.
“If we are able to select most of the guys we’re targeting, it’s going to give us some tough decisions when Main Camp rolls around [in July],” noted Roth, who will be participating in his first Draft as a Bobcats assistant. “It would be a good problem to have, though: trying out and evaluating too many talented players.”
The 2012 NAHL Entry Draft will begin at 1 PM on Thursday and will be broadcast live on the league’s exclusive web TV partner, http://NAHL.FASTHockey.com/. The NAHL will be tweeting every pick live, as well, at http://twitter.com/NAHLHockey or the twitter handle @NAHLHockey.
For in-depth information on the Bobcats’ selections, follow @BismarckBobcats on twitter.
Season tickets for the 2012-13 season are now on sale—and going fast! Call the box office at (701) 222-3300 to reserve your seats and be a part of another Bobcat Hockey run for the title today!