RoughRiders take Winnipeg guy 1st again

No, Mark Carlson doesn't have any special connections in the Great White North. Continuing to pick up players from there is just a coincidence.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders head coach/general manager drafted a kid from Winnipeg in the first round of the USHL Entry Draft for a second straight year Wednesday. This time it was 17-year-old forward Zach Franko, a Bemidji State University commitment.

Last year's first-round pick was defenseman Nolan Zajac, who has played against Franko in the past. Franko had 54 points in 51 games this past season for the South Blues of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

"He's a skilled type player, I guess I'd say," Zajac said. "He's got good offense."

Franko was one of 15 kids drafted Wednesday by the RoughRiders, on top of the six the club drafted Tuesday in the USHL Futures Draft of players with a 1994 birthdate.

"We feel good about the guys we drafted," Carlson said. "And we're anxiously awaiting camp in a couple of weeks."

The RoughRiders' annual tryout camp is June 3-6. Most, if not all, of the 40 players whose rights the club owns are expected to attend, as well as several other invited players.

Other players drafted Wednesday included 17-year-old defenseman Josiah Didier of the Colorado Thunderbirds midget major team (2nd round), 18-year-old forward Will Suter of the Russell Stover program in Kansas City (third round) and 18-year-old defenseman Greg Amlong of the St. Louis Junior Blues (fourth round).

The RoughRiders selected nine forwards, five defensemen and one goaltender.

"We had needs at every position," Carlson said. "So we were just trying to get the best players available."

Here is a link to the entire 2010 Entry Draft: http://www.ushldraft.com/2010-ushl-entry-draft-results.cfm.

Here is the list of the 40 players whose USHL right are owned by the RoughRiders:

FORWARDS - Sam Warning, Peter Sakaris, Stephen Collins, Stu Wilson, Jayson Megna, Evan Kovacs, Cason Hohmann, Michael Parks, Nick Lappin, Zach Franko, Will Suter, Matthew Hanson, Peter Maric, Tyler Gjurich, Jono Davis, Chris Tracy, Tanner Pond, Will Badner, Alex Roos, Jack Rowe, Charlie Green, Dennis Gravchenko, Jared Linnell, Derek Linnell.

DEFENSEMEN - Nolan Zajac, Tommy Fallen, Andy Simpson, Steven Hensley, Josiah Didier, Greg Amlong, Sean Flynn, Anthony DeAngelo, Tom Parisi, Ian Brady, Torey Willsey.

GOALTENDERS - Cody Campbell, Kevin Venturoso, Eric Rohrkemper, Jake Purnell, Collin Olson.