TAMBELLINI CROWNED A KING
Roommate Richmond just misses
By Jason Paul
June 21, 2003

Just minutes ago with the 27th overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, the Los Angeles Kings selected University of Michigan forward Jeff Tambellini.

Tambellini becomes the latest U-M product to be selected in the first round. Teammate Eric Nystrom was the 10th overall pick in last year's NHL Entry Draft, and he joins the likes on Mike Komisarek, Jeff Jillson, and Mike Van Ryn in the years prior.

On his way to the stage an excited Jeff hugged his father Steve down on the floor. The elder Tambellini is the vice president of player personnel for the Vancouver Canucks and just a few picks earlier the interesting scenario we thought might happen did when Vancouver selected 23rd and Jeff was still available. But Steve stated earlier this week that he wanted no part in the decision. The Canucks wound up taking a CCHA rival--Ohio State's Ryan Kesler--with their pick.

In a short interview on ESPN2 following his selection, an excited Tambellini said it was simply amazing to be taken in the first round and credited Red Berenson and the Michigan staff for the tremendous job they have done with preparing him and other players.

Meanwhile, this just in as I'm typing away and checking online since I'm away from the TV, with the first pick of the second round (31st overall), the Carolina Hurricanes have selected Michigan defenseman Danny Richmond.

Richmond was ranked 41st among North American skaters by the Central Scouting Bureau, which would project him somewhere between the second and third rounds, so the Hurricanes definitely must have liked what they saw in him to bump him up.

An CCHA All-Rookie Team selection, Richmond struggled to find his consistency the first half of the season. He definitely has a good set of wheels and good vision and movement of the puck, but defensively is where he was having problems. But once he finds the right balance between the two, he will become a solid player.

Cape Breton goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was selected 1st overall by Pittsburgh, who swapped picks with Florida. Eric Staal of the Peterborough Petes was chosen 2nd by Carolina, Oshawa's Nathan Horton 3rd by Florida, Russia's Nikolai Zherdev was 4th by Columbus, and the University of Minnesota's Thomas Vanek went to Buffalo to round off the top five.

The NHL Entry Draft continues on ESPN2 with Rounds 2 and 3 today. More updates later should anymore Wolverines be selected today.