RoughRiders' Aneloski, Parks taken in NHL draft

And here they thought their days as hockey teammates were over.

There is the possibility former Cedar Rapids RoughRiders‘ Bryce Aneloski and Jeff Costello might just hook up again some day in the professional ranks. Aneloski was selected Saturday by the Ottawa Senators in the seventh round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

The defenseman from Pekin, Ill., was the 196th-overall pick. Costello, who also played this past season in Cedar Rapids, was a fifth-round pick of the Senators last year.

RoughRiders forward Michael Parks also was drafted Saturday, in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Flyers.

“I haven't talked to him, yet,” Aneloski said Saturday of his former/future? teammate Costello. ”I'm going to see him plenty next week.”

That's when the Senators have a rookie camp in Kanata, Ontario. It begins Tuesday and runs through Saturday, with Aneloski and Costello both scheduled to appear.

Aneloski will be a sophomore this season at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Costello will be a freshman at Notre Dame.

“I'm pretty excited about it,” said Aneloski, who led all United States Hockey League defensemen with 54 points in 2009-10 and is the Riders' career scoring leader for defensemen.  “Ottawa was one of the teams I talked to. They showed a lot of interest. You hear so much (crap) from teams, so it's pretty cool that I got drafted by a team that I talked a lot to.”

Parks had 22 points this past season for Cedar Rapids. The suburban St. Louis resident will play college hockey at the University of North Dakota but is expected back with the Riders for the 2010-11 season first.

Parks did not immediately return a message Saturday.

“We are really pleased that Michael was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers,” Riders Coach/General Manager Mark Carlson said. ”He is an exceptional young player who we expect great things from in the coming season.”

Four USHL players were taken in the first round of the NHL draft Friday night: three players from the 

Team USA program and forward

Jaden Schwartz of the

Tri-City Storm.