June 29th, 2009
Screaming Eagles players Roy and Bernard Drafted
Olivier Roy had to wait longer than expected but he was eventually drafted in the fifth round by the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles goaltender was projected to go in the second or third round of the NHL draft but slid to 133rd overall in Montreal on Saturday.
“It’s a little bit disappointing to see him fall a bit, but to be honest it’s probably one of the best organizations he could have gone to,” said Cape Breton head coach and general manager Mario Durocher. “For sure for Olivier there was probably a little bit of disappointment but once he was picked he realized how good it feels to be part of an NHL organization and he was just proud to get drafted.
“Again, it’s just another challenge. You have no control over who picks you and you have to be proud just to get picked.”
Although Roy was the 10th goalie taken, Durocher believes he caught a break by being picked by the Oilers. They are thin at the goaltending position, which bodes well for Roy’s chances of making the NHL one day.
“Waiting is hard for every kid but, in the end, he’s happy now and that’s the most important thing,” Durocher said. “The Oilers organization is very happy to get him and I think it’s going to work out to be a good pick for them.
“The good thing for him is they’re an organization that doesn’t have a lot of depth in goal. It’s a good (fit) for him.”
Roy’s Cape Breton teammate Ashton Bernard was a surprise selection in the sixth round (174th overall) by the New Jersey Devils. The rugged forward from Eskasoni was acquired by the Screaming Eagles from the Shawinigan Cataractes on June 5 for a fifth-round pick in the QMJHL draft. He only has seven points in 131 career games but is considered one of the toughest fighters in the league.
“Teams are still looking for that and they know what he can do,” said Durocher. “He’s a guy who can bring some toughness to an organization. We’ll work on his hockey game to make sure he is ready for them in the future.
“We heard a few things from some teams before the draft that there was a possibility he would be picked in the sixth or seventh round,” Durocher added. “He had some testing with those teams on Wednesday and Thursday so it was something that was serious. His agent asked him to watch it from home just so there wouldn’t be any disappointment if he wasn’t picked, but it worked out great for him.”
Halifax’s Steven Anthony of the Saint John Sea Dogs was the only other Nova Scotian drafted. The talented left-winger was taken in the seventh round (187th overall) by the Vancouver Canucks.
There were no active members of the Halifax Mooseheads selected but the Montreal Canadiens drafted Halifax’s 2006 third-round pick, Mike Cichy, in the seventh round (199th overall). Cichy played for Indiana of the USHL last year and is headed to the University of North Dakota next season. Mooseheads 2007 first-round pick David Gilbert was taken in the seventh round (209th overall) by the Chicago Blackhawks. He never played a regular-season game for the Mooseheads because he was traded to the Quebec Remparts in 2007.
There were 23 QMJHL players taken during the two-day event.
