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Six Minnesota Blades Chosein in 2008 NHL Entry Draft!

By MN Blades, 02/13/11, 1:14PM CST

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This year’s Minnesota Blades NHL draft class includes six players, led by, defenseman Jake Gardiner in the first round. Gardner was chosen 17th overall by the Anaheim Ducks.

Gardiner enjoyed a meteoric rise from a being solid player as a junior forward at Minnetonka to becoming Mr. Hockey as a senior defenseman. That year included playing in the spring for the Minnesota Blades.

Two Blades with the same birthday were chosen in the second round. Derek Stepan of Hastings and Shattuck was chosen 51st overall by the New York Rangers. Danny Kristo of Edina and the National Development program was chosen 56th by the Montreal Canadians. Although both were born on June 18, 1990, there is no truth to the rumor that their draft-day horoscope read "In the second round you shall be chosen".

Corey Fienhage, of Eastview was chosen in the third round (81st) by the Buffalo Sabers. St. Thomas Academy’s Nick Larson went to Calgary in the fourth round (108th) and Edina’s Joe Gleason was taken by the Chicago Blackhawks in the seventh round (192nd).

The 2008 class brings to 71 the total of Minnesota Blades who have been drafted by NHL teams. Gardiner is the 17th Blade taken in the first round of the draft. The first Blade ever drafted was Ben Clymer in the first round in 1997.