pixel
Register User
Close
The Brampton Guardian The Brampton Guardian The Brampton Guardian The Brampton Guardian
SEARCH SITE
The Brampton Guardian
Canucks grab Hodgson
The Brampton Guardian
Wednesday June 25 2008
By Robin Inscoe, Sports Editor
Brampton Battalion centre Cody Hodgson was all smiles as he donned the jersey and cap of the Vancounver Canucks at the National Hockey League Entry Draft on Friday in Ottawa. The Canucks selected the Team Canada Under-18 captain with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the draft. Teammates Kyle DeCoste (Tampa Bay) and Patrick Killeen (Pittsburgh) were also drafted.
 
BRAMPTON - It was kind of fitting that the captain of Canada’s gold medal-winning World Under-18 team would remain a Canuck.
And that’s what happened on Friday evening as the Vancounver Canucks made the Brampton Battalion star its first round selection, 10th overall, at the National Hockey League Entry Draft in Ottawa.
“It feels great,” said Hodgson of being selected by the Canadian-based team. “It was tough waiting through those first nine picks, but I was just hoping for the best. It didn’t really matter where I went. I think things worked out.”
Hodgson was ranked ninth among North Amercian skaters heading into the draft but it didn’t make the wait any easier.
“I talked to them quite a few times before the draft,” said the newest Canuck. “I got a good feeling from them when I met with their general manager and coaches.”
Hodgson admitted that he likes the idea of being selected by one of the Canadian-based squads.
 “There are only six Canadian teams, and I think it would be pretty special to have a chance to play for one of them,” noted the Markham native. “Hockey’s everything here, and you’re always in the spotlight, but I’m looking forward to that.”
A first-round pick in the 2006 OHL Priority Selection, Hodgson, who led the Battalion in goals last season with 40, added 45 assists for 85 points in 68 games. He had 23 goals and 23 assists for 46 points in 63 games as a rookie in 2006-07.
“I think the Battalion did a great job helping me develop and get to where I am today,” said Hodgson.
See BATTALION, pg. 31
Continued from pg.??
He’s the fifth Battalion player taken in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft, following defenceman Rostislav Klesla, Raffi Torres, Brent Burns and Wojtek Wolski, all of whom are currently employed in the NHL.
And Hodgson wasn’t the only member of the Battalion, who had their dream realized on the weekend.
Right winger Kyle DeCoste was selected in the fifth round, 147th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning while goaltender Patrick Killeen went in the sixth round, 180th, to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
DeCoste, who met with the Lightning at the NHL fitness testing in late-May, had a feeling he might be selected by the Lightning.
“I thought that meeting went well,” said DeCoste. “They really welcomed me with open arms. They told me they thought I was a sleeper. They think I’ll become a good player. They showed some confidence in me, and that was nice.”
Ranked  115th among North American skaters, DeCoste had to wait a little longer than that to be selected.
”Waiting like that is never fun, but hearing my name called was a real honou, said the 6-foot 1 forward. “They’re a rebuilding team, so hopefully I can make that work to my advantage.”
DeCoste feels that earning a spot in the Battalion line-up as an underager may have been a key to realizing his dream.
”Staying as a 16-year-old was key, admitted the London native. “A lot of people told me I wouldn’t be able to do it, and I’m not even sure if our coaches thought I would stay, but I took advantage of the situation and that led me to this day.”
Netminder Killeen was relieved to hear his named called after making the short trek from his home in Carp to Ottawa.
”It’s a huge relief, admitted the 6-foot 4 puckstopper. “It’s great to get it over with. It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out. Things turned out a lot differently from what I thought they would. I didn’t get my hopes up too high, and I tried to stay confident.”
Rated 15th among North American-based goaltenders, Killeen thought Pittsburgh might have interest in him after a mid-season meeting with Dave McNamara, an amateur scout with the club.
“I thought that was a good meeting,” said Killeen, who turned 18 on April 15. “I kept crossing my fingers when it was their turn to pick. I talked to them after they picked me, and they told me if I kept working hard I could get a chance in the future.
Last season, his second with the troops, Killeen played 34 games amassing a record of 20-9-2, one shutout, a 2.76 goals-against average and a save percentage of .908.