NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING'S FINAL RANKINGS

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN’S DANY HEATLEY TOP RATED PROSPECT FOR 2000 NHL ENTRY DRAFT

[May 1, 2000] -- NEW YORK – TORONTO (May 1, 2000) – Left wing Dany Heatley of the University of Wisconsin, who was the top rated draft eligible player at mid-season, has maintained his status as the #1 rated skater in North America in the final rankings compiled by the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting Service. The 6’1”, 200-pound Heatley completed his freshman year with Wisconsin, finishing second in team scoring with 52 points (27-25-52 in 35 games), fourth in the league. Heatley was named the WCHA’s Rookie of the Year and was a member of the Bronze Medal-winning Canadian team in the 2000 World Junior Championships in Sweden.

The 2000 NHL Entry Draft will take place June 24-25 at Calgary’s Canadian Airlines Saddledome.

The Central Scouting list includes the top 210 skaters and 30 goaltenders in North America, as well as the top 100 skaters and six goaltenders from Europe.

Rostislav Klesla, a defenseman with the Brampton Battalion (OHL), is ranked second in North America. The 6’2”, 198-pound native of the Czech Republic was recently selected to the OHL’s First All-Rookie Team.

The top five positions are rounded out by right wing Scott Hartnell of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders; Brooks Orpik, a defenseman with Boston College (Hockey East), and center Brad Boyes of the Erie Otters (OHL).

Brent Krahn of the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen is the number one ranked goaltender in North America, a position he has maintained since the mid-term rankings. The 6’4”, 200-pound native of Winnipeg posted a 33-6-0 record and a 2.38 goals-against average as a rookie this season.

The top rated European skater is Russian-born Pavel Vorobiev, a right wing with Yaroslavl in the Russian senior league. He is followed by fellow Russian natives, center Mikhail Yakubov (Togliatti) and left wing Alexei Smirnov (Dynamo). Slovakia’s Marian Gaborik, a left wing for Trencin, is the fourth rated European, while Russian defenseman Ilya Nikulin (Tver) completes the top rated European talents.

Goaltender Ilja Bryzgalov (Togliatti) is the top rated goaltender in Europe. The 6’3”, 196-pound Russian native is currently performing for the Russian team in the 2000 World Championships.

MINNESOTA WILD OFFICIALLY JOINS NHL

[May 1, 2000] -- Minnesota Wild Chief Executive Officer Jac Sperling announced today that the club was officially granted full franchise status by the National Hockey League (NHL) after meeting all of the requirements necessary for entry into the league.

"This is a defining moment in the history of the Minnesota Wild," said Sperling. "The organization has not only met the NHL's requirements to become a member of the league, but surpassed them. We will continue our efforts to surpass expectations in every facet of the organization."

Since June 25, 1997, the Wild has functioned as an expansion franchise, raising funds and focusing efforts on meeting all of the minimum franchise requirements set by the NHL, such as 12,000 season tickets sold, 75 percent of luxury suites sold, local broadcast agreements (KMSP and WCCO) and payment of $80 million franchise fee. The Wild have met and surpassed the NHL's minimum requirements.

Having met all of these requirements and been granted franchise status, the Minnesota Wild will now begin to function as a franchised member of the NHL, participating as a member club in all league matters. More immediately, the Wild now have the ability to sign eligible players and begin to form a roster of players for the 2000-2001 season.

The Minnesota Wild has sold more than 13,600 season tickets to date and begins play in the Northwest Division of the NHL's Western Conference this October. For more information on the Minnesota Wild please call (651) 222-WILD (9453).

[May 4, 2000] -- 


Steve Aronson Career Collegiate Statistics
   Season  Team        League    GP   G   A   PTS PIM                	  
   96-97   St. Thomas  MIAC      27   11  25  26  44
   97-98   St. Thomas  MIAC      28   32  25  57  41
   98-99   St. Thomas  MIAC      31   23  37  60  73
   99-00   St. Thomas  MIAC      33   38  53  91  72        	 
TOTALS                          119  104 140 244 230
TRANSCRIPT OF GENERAL MANAGER DOUG RISEBROUGH-STEVE ARONSON MEDIA AVAILIBILITY

 

[May 5, 2000] -- (Introduction)
Bill Robertson - Vice President of Communications
"Good afternoon everybody on behalf of the Minnesota Wild, I would like to thank all our friends in the media for coming today in what I deem and whole organization deems as a monumental day for the franchise. And with that I would like to bring up the executive Vice President and General Manager of the Minnesota Wild, Mr. Doug Risebrough."

Doug Risebrough
"Thank you. It is an exciting day, it is an exciting day for the team, the staff and the organization in terms of what we are working towards in terms of trying to accumulate a team. It is an exciting day for a general manager whose first player signed, to reach an agreement in contract. But more importantly I think it's an exciting day for a young man who is trying to fulfill his dreams.

We're excited about this opportunity of acquiring a young player who can fit into the organization. I got a chance to meet Steve and he can fit into the organization. He represents what we want. A guy who has come out of nowhere, he has accomplished an awful lot in terms of his abilities and who represents the spirit and hard work it takes to get to the NHL. So it's my pleasure to introduce Steve Aronson, our first player to reach contract."

(Risebrough presents sweater to Aronson)
Welcome aboard!

Media Question & Answer Session

Q - What are your initial reactions?
A - (Steve) Yeah well obviously I'm very excited and it is really an exciting time for the Wild right now. For everybody.

Q - Talk about the opportunity to play in your home state?

A - (Steve) I think it's a great opportunity and I couldn't ask for anything more. It's where I want to be.

Q - Take us through the whole process of how they started talking to you and how you guys finally reached an agreement?

A - (Steve) Well, it actually kind of happened pretty quickly. But I think Mr. Risebrough had a conversation with Neil Sheehy who represents me and from there I wasn't really in the loop. I didn't handle that part, I'm just happy it worked out.

A - (Doug Risebrough) There were other teams interested and we knew that and I had one big kicker in the fact that in that I could bring him down to the building. So that the day that Steve and I had met, it was a bit of a disadvantage in the since that I had been traveling. Neil and I had been talking and I really wanted to meet Steve.
I asked that they be patient and wait till I got home. And Steve and I met and took me to one of his favorite breakfast spots and that told me a little about how he eats. We chatted a little bit, came down to the rink and it was a good fit and like I said we are quite excited. It is an exciting time for him, his career is going to go forward and he's going to represent exactly what we want. This is a first step for him. He's got a long way to go to get to where he wants. This organization is going to be patient and work towards that.

Q - What did you see in him that you think down the road will make him a successful NHLer?

A - (Doug) Well I did not see him, but our staff saw him and that is not unusual. I think what we saw was huge production at a level. Goal scorers are goal scorers. But the question that I asked all our people is "How hard does he work, because you need a drive to get there. And what type of goals does he score?" And they said He scores all types of goals. And the goals are the inside goals, the goals where you have to get into places where people are checking you and preventing you from checking, usually that's a physical dynamics and he plays on the inside. So between his drive and abilities, I think that bodes very well for him in the future.

Q - Can you tell us what it's like when you went into the arena? You're from here, you've seen it going up. What's it like being a part of it?

A - (Steve) It was very exciting to see it, I think the place is incredible. It's going to have a tremendous atmosphere for hockey. I was kind of blown away a bit.

A - (Doug) - We positioned it so we took him to the dressing room first and then we had him walk down the long corridor to the open ice level.

Q - What do think you have to work on now, between the time training camp opens up?

A - (Steve) Well I think I can work on everything. I think for me right now, all I can really do is work as hard as I can and hopefully get some good advice and give everything I have and come into camp giving myself the best possible chance to succeed.

Q - School and baseball are still pretty important to aren't they?

A - (Steve) Yes they are.

Q - You living a dream that a lot of people in MN have, you are from Minnesota, played high school and college hockey in the state. Can you tell us a little bit more about what this is like?

A - (Steve) Well I think it will set in a little bit more a bit later. I obviously couldn't ask for anything more. This is exactly where I'd want to be. I'm just really thankful to have the opportunity to be here.

Q - Doug, can you comment on how ironic and how convenient is it that the first player signed by the Wild is a native of the state?

A - (Doug) It wasn't something that we were planning at all. Actually, there are other players, or actually a particular player that is close to reaching an agreement and signing a contract. And there was some mechanics of a physical that the players had to go through.

It just turned out that this was evolving to be the first one because he was here and things could happen a lot quicker. It is really unique to have your player be in the office when he signs the contract. That happened today and the room filled up with people from our whole staff and everyone wanted to be there. It wasn't planned that way, it happened that way and we're glad it did to have the chance to present him this way.

Q - You signed your first player today, you're close to another player, in a month and a half the expansion draft. At this point, you still need a head coach?

A - (Doug) That's right. That's a big decision that's coming up and like I've said it's one of those things that I'm not really putting a time table on, but I'm certainly trying to ask a lot of questions to a lot of people.

Q - Is there a short list for the head coach job?

A - (Doug) There is a list.

Q - Is it a short or a long one?

A - (Doug) It's a list.

Q - Was this ever on the back of you're my mind when you set foot on Saint Thomas to play baseball and hockey four years ago?

A - (Steve) Well it might have been on the back of my mind, the very back. But no, I think if someone would have told me that four years ago I'd be very surprised.

Thank you.

Home  Back  Next