JUNE 29th

It was a big weekend off the ice for the Alberta Junior Hockey League as 6 AJHL players were selected in the NHL Entry Draft.

The highlight was Camrose Kodiaks Defenceman Dylan Olsen being chosen in the first round, 28th overall, by the Chicago Blackhawks.

A pair of former Spruce Grove Saints were drafted with defenceman Kevin Connauton becoming a Canuck 83rd overall and goalie Kieren Millan going to Colorado with the 124th selection.

Connauton is currently a member of the University of Western Michigan and was a teammate of Lucas Isley's before Isley's return to Bonnyville in January.

Kris Foucault (foo-co) left the Canmore Eagles at the trade deadline to join the WHL's Calgary Hitmen and will now head to Minnesota's rookie camp as the Wild used thier 103rd overall pick on him.

And two current Okotoks Oilers went in the 5th round. Corban Knight 135th to Florida and Derek Rodwell 144th to New Jersey.

-----

So Olsen doesn't go to the Flames but there's nothing wrong with the Blackhawks and how about getting Scotty Bowman to call your name at the NHL draft. I wouldn't care that he needed a yellow sticky note to remember what name to say. Scotty freakin' Bowman stepped up to the podium and asked you to join his team... Yes Sir.

-----

Millan was spectacular in games 1 and 2 against Bonnyville in the first round of the 2006-07 playoffs. The Saints went up 2-0 in the best of 5 and while packing up the broadcast equipment I told the boys in the booth at the Grant Fuhr arena I would be seeing them again on Friday (would be game 5). That turned out to be one of my few accurate predictions and nothing felt better than walking back into the booth at the GFA. Too bad the Pontiacs couldn't pull it out in the end.

-----

In that Spruce Grove series Justin Fontaine was held off the scoresheet in games 1 and 2 before adding 8 points in the next three games. Fontaine is back in Bonnyville for the summer, after another successful season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and is playing shortstop for the Dirty Mitts in the mixed modified slowpitch league. Also on the Dirty Mitts is Philadelphia Flyer forward Jon Kalinski. They aren't in first place in slowpitch but they would make one heck of a hockey team.

Kalinski is actually going to miss the year end slowpitch tournament because of a camp with the Flyers. I would like to see him call up Paul Holmgren and try and tell him he can't make it because he has ball commitments.

-----

Sitemeter tells me there are a regular number of readers from Lethbridge. I want to know who you are because I know you aren't any of my friends who live there and my parents are in Germany right now so ... who are you? Cam Creighton's family?

Anyways I do have some friends living in Lethbridge and one of them just opened the Marble Slab Creamery on University Drive. I would appreciate it if you went to check it out as I know I will be next time I can make it back down South.