On Friday and Saturday, the NHL held their annual entry draft. Hockey players born from September 16, 1994 to September 15, 1997 are eligible to be selected. Players born after that have not been selected are undrafted free agents (UFA) and players born prior are not eligible. The players selected are examined, poked, interviewed and most of all watched intently for at least two seasons by the NHL Central Scouting staff and every NHL team all over North America and Europe. 

Scouts spend countless hours watching and evaluating players. Full Time scouts watch 300+ games each year to insure that when a player's name is ready to chosen that it is the right name for their organization. This weekend seven Minnesota kids were the right name for seven NHL teams. 

Jared Bethune - since de-committing from UMD last Fall in favor of the WHL, Bethune's stock has declined. At the end of the 2014 season Bethune had just committed to Scott Sandelin in Duluth and was headed to Lincoln in the USHL. Since then he played 3 games in Lincoln before pulling his commitment to the Dogs in favor of Prince George where he played 61 games and netted 20 points. Bethune was rated by Central Scouting at 103 at mid term - which projects between 3rd and 5th Round. By season's end he was not ranked by CS and was a draft hopeful.

Alec Baer - the St. Louis Park native who spurned MN High School hockey has played two complete seasons in the WHL for the Vancouver Giants. Baer has collected 46 points in 127 WHL games for the Giants so far. He has immense skill and will be counted on this year by Vancouver. Still has a good shot of playing professional hockey.