amn5hol Posted June 23, 2003 Share Posted June 23, 2003 It sounds like Chris Porter is indeed going to UND next year..... http://www.journalstar.com/sports.php?story_id=57871 Many Stars catching eyes of NHL scouts BY MARK DEROWITSCH / Lincoln Journal Star All the trophies and all the accolades the Lincoln Stars earned throughout the 2002-03 hockey season were apparently noticed by the NHL. Scouts showed up at the Ice Box night after night to watch the Stars win the United States Hockey League regular-season and playoff titles, and they must have been impressed. When the NHL Draft wrapped up Sunday in Nashville, Tenn., four members of last year's Stars were selected. Chris Porter became the fourth and final Star to be taken when Chicago used a ninth-round pick, No. 282 overall, to grab the winger. Three other Stars, David Backes, Danny Irmen and Ryan Potulny, were all drafted on Saturday. Backes went in the second round to St. Louis, and Irmen and Potulny in the third round by Minnesota and Philadelphia, respectively. "That shows we had a good group of kids," Stars coach Steve Johnson said. "Not only does it show we had a good season, it shows they have great potential. It will be fun tracking those guys as they go through their careers." One NHL scout told Stars assistant coach Rob Facca, who attended the two-day draft, that only one team had more players drafted than Lincoln during the first three rounds. Facca, in fact, heard from a number of NHL scouts and coaches throughout the weekend. "They all knew about what we did in Lincoln," he said. Porter was the only member of the 2002-03 Stars to be taken on the final day of the draft. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder was fifth on the Stars in scoring, scoring 35 points in his rookie season. Porter's time in Lincoln is probably over. According to Johnson, Porter will likely end up at North Dakota in the fall. "Chris is certainly a good player, and, at 6-1, 210 pounds who can skate and shoot the puck like he can, that certainly makes for a good pro prospect." Three former Stars were also drafted on Sunday: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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