2008 Woodie Awards
Men's Hockey: Recruits plucked in NHL draft
Peter A. Martin
Issue date: 7/2/08 Section: Sports
Three future Husky hockey players, Steve Quailer and twin brothers Justin and Drew Daniels, were selected in the 2008 National Hockey League draft last week.
The Daniels brothers, who will spend a season in a junior league before entering Northeastern in fall 2009, were both selected by the San Jose Sharks. Justin was selected in the third round, 62nd overall and Drew was 194th overall as the Sharks' seventh round selection.
Quailer, who will be joining the team on campus in a few months for the coming season, was selected in the third round, 86th overall by the Montreal Canadiens.
"It's nice that these guys got selected," said head coach Greg Cronin. "We actually thought we were going to have as many as six guys picked, but this is a good start."
The three other candidates for selection were current defenseman Dan Nycholat, whose stock could have been hurt by a bout with mononucleosis that kept him off the ice for almost half of the year; Brodie Reid, who will either join Northeastern this year or next from the British Columbia Hockey League's Burnaby Express; and Alex Tuckerman, a teammate of Quailer's who will join the Huskies this season from the Sioux City Musketeers in the United States Hockey League (USHL).
The only drafted Husky who will join the team this season is Quailer, a player Cronin described as "a very unique combo of size and skill, with good hands. He plays well in traffic, and has a good shot, but we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg with him."
Quailer played in Colorado midget leagues two years ago before making the jump to the USHL, a very competitive league that has produced current Huskies Randy Guzior, David Strathman, Steve Silva and the only other drafted Husky, Joe Vitale.
"There was a huge jump for him from where he was a year ago to where he is now," Cronin said. "He was a great rookie in his first year in the USHL and that usually doesn't happen, it takes a year to get acclimated."
The Daniels brothers, who will spend a season in a junior league before entering Northeastern in fall 2009, were both selected by the San Jose Sharks. Justin was selected in the third round, 62nd overall and Drew was 194th overall as the Sharks' seventh round selection.
Quailer, who will be joining the team on campus in a few months for the coming season, was selected in the third round, 86th overall by the Montreal Canadiens.
"It's nice that these guys got selected," said head coach Greg Cronin. "We actually thought we were going to have as many as six guys picked, but this is a good start."
The three other candidates for selection were current defenseman Dan Nycholat, whose stock could have been hurt by a bout with mononucleosis that kept him off the ice for almost half of the year; Brodie Reid, who will either join Northeastern this year or next from the British Columbia Hockey League's Burnaby Express; and Alex Tuckerman, a teammate of Quailer's who will join the Huskies this season from the Sioux City Musketeers in the United States Hockey League (USHL).
The only drafted Husky who will join the team this season is Quailer, a player Cronin described as "a very unique combo of size and skill, with good hands. He plays well in traffic, and has a good shot, but we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg with him."
Quailer played in Colorado midget leagues two years ago before making the jump to the USHL, a very competitive league that has produced current Huskies Randy Guzior, David Strathman, Steve Silva and the only other drafted Husky, Joe Vitale.
"There was a huge jump for him from where he was a year ago to where he is now," Cronin said. "He was a great rookie in his first year in the USHL and that usually doesn't happen, it takes a year to get acclimated."