Michigan State University Athletics
Four Spartans Chosen At Day One Of NHL Entry Draft
6/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
June 22, 2002
TORONTO - For Michigan State hockey fans following this year's National Hockey League Entry Draft, there was a lot of waiting. And waiting. And waiting.
Then came a flurry of activity for the Green and White at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Four Spartan skaters, all sophomores-to-be, were selected in a two-hour span.
Jim Slater (Lapeer, Mich.) was the last player chosen in the first round when the Atlanta Thrashers used the 30th overall pick, acquired in a trade, to take the rugged forward. Slater is the first MSU player to be selected in the first round of the NHL draft since 1990, when both Michael Stewart (13th overall) and Bryan Smolinski (21st overall) went in the top round.
"I was so nervous," said Slater. "I just wanted to hear Michigan State University called. When it finally happened, it was the happiest moment of my life."
The Thrashers should have no trouble keeping tabs on Slater's progress - Atlanta general manager Don Waddell played for MSU head coach Rick Comley at Northern Michigan and the two remains friends.
"Rick Comley was a coach of mine for four years and a friend of mine since 1976," said Waddell. "It's funny how things work out. We'll be able to keep track of him pretty easy right now."
Centerman Lee Falardeau (Midland, Mich.) was the second Spartan to be taken. He went to the New York Rangers with the third pick in the second round (33rd overall).
"It's a great feeling," said Falardeau. "I'm loving this right now. It's a wonderful experience. As a little kid, I was always dreaming about playing in the NHL."
Duncan Keith (Penticton, B.C.) was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the 24th pick in the second round (54th overall). The MSU defenseman, who was ranked anywhere from 42nd (The Hockey News) to 94th (NHL Central Scouting Service) among 2002 draft-eligble prospects, was ecstatic to be chosen by Chicago.
"It's good to be a part of an Original Six organization and a team like the Blackhawks with all the tradition that they have there," said Keith. "Central Scouting ranked me a little bit lower, but I know they go on size a lot and size is a big part of the game, but speed and skill is important, too."
It was only fitting that the Edmonton Oilers - the team that features former Spartans Anson Carter, Shawn Horcoff and Mike York - used the 16th pick in the 3rd round (79th overall) to take MSU wing Brock Radunske (New Hamburg, Ont.).
"I'll probably see (Carter, Horcoff or York) this summer at Michigan State, so I'm sure they could show me the ropes really easy. ," said Radunske. "(Slater, Falardeau and Keith) were ranked a little higher than me so I expected to go a little later. We're a real close class and to see us all go the first day is really exciting."
The 2002 draft marks the first time in school history that four MSU icers were taken in the first three rounds. Three State players have been selected in the first three rounds on four occasions, the most recent being 1999 when Adam Hall and Andrew Hutchinson were both taken by Nashville in the second round and Brad Fast went to Carolina in the third round.
