Sunday, June 28, 2009

Edmonton Bags Bigos 99th:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Edmonton bags Bigos 99th

By Kevin Mitchell - Vernon Morning Star

Published: June 27, 2009

Kyle Bigos got an early wake-up call in California Saturday morning.
His dad, Walt, wanted to make sure his 20-year-old son was alert and ready for the call of his lifetime.
Then it came, just after nine. It was Stu McGregor of the Edmonton Oilers welcoming the Vernon Viper all-star defenceman to the NHL.
The Oilers chose the 6-foot-5, 230-pounder 99th overall, with the eighth pick in the fourth round of the NHL entry draft in Montreal.
“I was in shock, I couldn’t believe it, especially Edmonton,” Bigos told The Morning Star. “Playing in Notre Dame (Wilcox, Sask.) for three years, I watched them and Calgary on TV a lot. They were one of my favourite teams, and I’m a big fan of Sheldon Souray.”
Bigos, who planned to celebrate by going out for dinner with his parents, received congratulatory messages on Facebook from a number of Viper teammates Saturday morning.
“They (McGregor and another Oiler scout) asked me how I felt, and I said: ‘It’s a dream-come true pretty much.’ They asked me if I was going to Merrimack (NCAA in New York) next season and I told them yes, and they said that was a good thing.”
Bigos, who was projected as a middle-round choice, figured his MVP and Top Defenceman honours as the Vipers won the Royal Bank Cup in Victoria, helped move him up in the draft.
He can attend the Oilers’ camp in September, but because he is an NCAA player, he would have to pay for his own flights and expenses.
“I’m going to try and go to camp. I’ll have to discuss things with my parents first.”
Bigos, who is working out daily and playing some scrimmage hockey with buddies in Upland, pocketed 2-7-9 and 18 penalty minutes in six Royal Bank Cup games.
In his second regular season with the B.C. Hockey League Vipers, the fan-favourite garnered 8-25-33 and 126 PIM.
Viper centre Cory Kane, projected as a late-rounder, was not taken in the seven-round lottery.
Bigos was the first BCHLer selected. Surrey Eagles’ winger Spencer Bennett, of White Rock, went to the Calgary Flames in the fifth round, 141st overall.
Kelowna Rockets’ d-man Tyson Barrie, a Victoria product, was chosen in round three by the Colorado Avalanche.
Nelson’s Evan Bloodoff, a left winger with the Rockets, ended up a Phoenix Coyote, in the sixth round, 157th.
The Vancouver Canucks took University of Minnesota Gopher 5-foot-8, 175-pound centre Jordan Schroeder with their first-round pick, 22nd.
The Canucks went with 5-foot-11 Swedish forward Anton Rodin in the second round.
The Detroit Red Wings, with Vernon’s Marty Stein joining GM Ken Holland at the draft table, took Red Deer Rebel forward Landon Ferraro with their first pick, 32nd overall.
Detroit took Rockets’ winger Mitchell Callahan, a Californian, in round six, 180th overall.
Cam Reid, a Delta centre with the Westside Warriors, was picked 192nd by Nashville.

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