Super Six

Jan 23, 2012

FRISCO, TX – The North American Hockey League released the rosters for the 2012 Top Prospects Tournament, to be held February 20-22 in Troy, Mich., with six members of the 2011-12 Bismarck Bobcats being named to Team Central for the annual all-star event.

Forwards Dan Zawacki, Bryce Schmitt and Frank DeAugustine, defensemen Danny Ray and Donald Olivieri along with goaltender Tommy Burke will be representing the Central Division in February.

“Being picked to play at Top Prospects is a huge honor,” said Schmitt who, as a third year veteran, is the only Bobcat holdover from the 2010 Robertson Cup Championship run, “with so many pro and college scouts there it’s a big opportunity for all of us, but we’re also looking forward to getting out on the ice and showing that the Central Division is the best in the league.”

On the coaching side, Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie will serve as head coach of Team Central by virtue of the Cats’ holding the division’s top winning percentage at the January 16 standings freeze, with Alexandria’s Doc DelCastillo serving as assistant coach.

It is the second straight year that Sedevie will lead Team Central. In four of the five years of the tournament’s existence, the Bobcats have had the most entrants from the Central and provided its head coach.

“My role at Top Prospects is cool and obviously an honor, but it’s also 100% a reflection of team success,” credited Sedevie, who is in his second year behind the bench for the Bobcats. “Without our guys having such an unbelievable start, I’d probably be watching the tournament from our office.”

For Zawacki, it his second all-star nod—the first coming when he was named to Team Weight at the 2010 Top Prospects Tournament in Walpole, Mass.

The Bobcats were originally given five Top Prospects roster spots for their top winning percentage, but with Olivieri leading all NAHL defensemen in goals with 12, he was awarded the coaches’ at-large selection to the roster.

Regular season play continues for the Bobcats Friday with the first of two 7:05 PM contests at Riverside Arena against the third-place Austin Bruins before returning to Alexandria for a 5:00 PM Sunday rematch against the streaking Alexandria Blizzard, who recently ended the Cats’ season-high eight-game win streak.

All three away contests will be broadcast locally on the radio home of Bobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270, KLXX-AM, and worldwide on the official internet television partner of the NAHL, FASTHockey, at http://nahl.fasthockey.com. Pregame coverage gets under way 30 minutes before each game. Fans can watch the games—and all away contests—live at Reza’s Pitch at Third and Front in Bismarck, the official away game home of Bobcat Hockey.

Season tickets are still available for the second half of the 2011-12 season—and going fast! Call the Bobcat Hockey office at (701) 222-3300 or email gobobcathockey@aol.com for more information on reserving a pro-rated package for the rest of the season!