
Matthew Corrente Selected in First Round
Defenseman is New Jersey’s First of Eight Entry Draft Selections
East Rutherford, NJ – Defenseman
Matthew Corrente of the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit was the
first of eight selections by Devils’ Director of Scouting David Conte
and his staff at the 2006 National Hockey League Entry Draft.
This year’s event took place this past Saturday, June 24 in Vancouver,
B.C.
“At 18, Matthew Corrente has the potential to
become a complete defenseman,” said Devils’ CEO/President/General
Manager Lou Lamoriello. “We are looking forward to his progress
over the next few seasons, and one day becoming a member of the New
Jersey Devils.”
Corrente, according to the league’s Central
Scouting Department: “Is a very good skater with superior
mobility, a smooth stride, and exceptional lateral movement...a very
good backward skater who has good balance and agility...makes good
outlet passes to initiate breakouts...has a variety of shots that he
gets away quickly from the point, including an accurate wrist
shot...has deceptive speed in the open ice, is strong on his feet when
fighting for the puck along the boards and in the corners and finds the
open man with crisp accurate passes...is willing to stand up and make
the play at the blueline and is seldom caught out of position...has a
very active stick in the defensive zone and is used in all game
situations...not a punishing type of defenseman but will take the body
and finish his check...is a very competitive player who has good
strength and knows how to use it...plays with drive and determination
always getting involved and will not be intimidated...finishes his
checks hard and with authority...”
The club’s remaining selections were: left wing Alexander Vasyunov (2nd round/58th overall, Yaroslavl, Rus.), defenseman Kirill Tulupov (3/67, Leninogorsk, Vys.), right wing Vladimir Zharkov (3/77, CSKA Moscow, Rus.), defenseman T.J. Miller (4/107, Penticton, BCJHL), defenseman Olivier Magnan (5/148, Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL), center Tony Romano (6/178, New York, AJHL), and defenseman Kyell Henegan (7/208, Shawinigan, QMJHL).
Draft Day notes: The NHL Entry Draft took
place in Vancouver for the first time since 1990…That draft, held in
the city’s B.C. Place football stadium, produced goaltender Martin
Brodeur…Corrente was Saginaw’s first pick, second overall, in the 2004
OHL priority selection…He was selected to the 2006 CHL Top Prospects
Game in Ottawa and was a member of Team Ontario for the 2004 Under-17
World Hockey Challenge, as well as Team Canada for the 2006 Under-18
World Championships…Corrente was the first defenseman selected by the
Devils in the first round since David Hale in 2000, and was just the
ninth defenseman ever selected by the team in the first round…He was
one of two prospects selected off of the Spirits’ roster (R. Daniels,
Ott.), and one of 78 CHL players selected overall…Vasyunov, Tulupov,
and Zharkov were New Jersey’s second, third, and fourth selections, and
were all teammates for Team Russia at the 2006 World Under-18
Championships…This year’s tournament took place in Angelholm and
Halmstad, Sweden…Vasyunov was also named the best forward at the 2006
Under-18 Five Nations Tournament…He played this past season with
Yaroslavl, where former Devils’ forward Sergei Nemchinov concluded his
playing career…Tulupov is expected to play junior hockey at Chicoutimi
(QMJHL) this upcoming season…His parents are educators in Russia, while
his father speaks five languages…Kirill himself speaks fluent English,
and has seen action in North America with Toronto (Jr. A)…Zharkov
played last season with CSKA Moscow, the most successful team in the
history of the Russian Hockey League…Miller was born in Placetia, CA,
but played his junior hockey in the British Columbia Junior Hockey
League in 2004-05 with South Surrey, and 2005-06 with Penticton…His
BCJHL teammates included Devils’ prospect Tyler Eckford, who is
currently attending the University of Alaska-Fairbanks…Miller will
attend CCHA rival Northern Michigan in the fall, where his teammates
will include prospect Zach Tarkir (5th round, 2003)…Magnan played for
Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) the past three seasons, but was traded to
Drummondville on June 9…He served the Huskies as captain, and was often
paired with Dallas’ first-round selection, Ivan Vishnevskiy…At 20
years, one month, and 23 days, he was New Jersey’s oldest
selection…Romano is from Smithtown, Long Island, approximately 60 miles
from the Meadowlands…He earned a 4.0 GPA while at St. Anthony’s High
School…Romano will attend Cornell (ECAC) in September, where he will
become a teammate of prospect Dan Glover (8th rd., ’02)…He caught the
eyes of the team’s scouting staff while with the U.S. Under-18
team…Henegan spent the past two seasons with Shawinigan (QMJHL)…His
teammates at the Cataractes included Benoit Mondou, the son of Devils’
scout/former NHLer Pierre Mondou…More than 1,500 fans attended the 2006
Draft Party at the Bubble at Giants Stadium from 6:00-9:00 PM…This
year’s event was hosted by Devils/FSN NY Broadcaster Stan Fischler and
Alumni Association Director Bruce Driver…Also on hand were current
Devils’ right wing Grant Marshall, as well as former players Scott
Stevens, Ken Daneyko, and Rob Skrlac.
View the 2006 Draft Party Photo Gallery
2006 New Jersey Devils
Entry Draft Selections
MATTHEW CORRENTE Defenseman
Born: Mississauga, Ont.; March 17, 1988; Shoots
right. 6’0”, 190 lbs.; New Jersey’s 1st choice, 30th
overall.
Year |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
PIM |
2003-04 |
Vaughan |
OPJHL |
39 |
3 |
7 |
10 |
87 |
2004-05 |
Saginaw |
OHL |
62 |
6 |
9 |
15 |
89 |
2005-06 |
Saginaw |
OHL |
61 |
6 |
24 |
30 |
172 |
ALEXANDER
VASYUNOV
Left wing
Born: Yaroslavl, Rus.; April 22, 1988; Shoots
right. 6’0”, 190 lbs.; New Jersey’s 2nd choice, 58th
overall.
Year |
Team |
League |
|
|
|
|
|
2004-05 |
Yaroslavl 2 |
Rus. III |
28 |
10 |
2 |
12 |
6 |
2005-06 |
Yaroslavl 2 |
Rus. III |
29 |
29 |
6 |
35 |
14 |
|
Yaroslavl |
Rus. |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
KIRILL
TULUPOV
Defenseman
Born: Moscow, Rus.; April 23, 1988; Shoots
right. 6’3”, 220 lbs.; New Jersey’s 3rd choice, 67th
overall.
Year |
Team |
League |
|
|
|
|
|
2005-06 |
Leninogorsk |
Vys |
8 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
14 |
VLADIMIR
ZHARKOV
Right wing
Born: Elektrostal, Rus.; January 10, 1988; Shoots
left. 6’0”, 185 lbs.; New Jersey’s 4th choice (3rd round),
77th overall.
Year |
Team |
League |
|
|
|
|
|
2004-05 |
CSKA Mosk. 2 |
Rus. III |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2005-06 |
CSKA Mosk. 2 |
Rus. III |
48 |
17 |
22 |
39 |
86 |
|
CSKA |
Rus. |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
T.J.
MILLER
Defenseman
Born: Placetia, CA; September 15, 1986; Shoots
left. 6’4”, 210 lbs.; New Jersey’s 5th choice (4th round),
107th overall.
Year |
Team |
League |
|
|
|
|
|
2004-05 |
S. Surrey |
BCJHL |
53 |
3 |
9 |
12 |
85 |
2005-06 |
Penticton |
BCJHL |
60 |
16 |
32 |
48 |
73 |
OLIVIER
MAGNAN
Defenseman
Born: Sherbrooke, Que.; May 1, 1986; Shoots
left. 6’2”, 200 lbs.; New Jersey’s 6th choice (5th round),
148th overall.
Year |
Team |
League |
|
|
|
|
|
2002-03 |
Val-d’Or |
QMJHL |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2003-04 |
Rouyn-Noran. |
QMJHL |
69 |
1 |
8 |
9 |
67 |
2004-05 |
Rouyn-Noran. |
QMJHL |
70 |
5 |
15 |
20 |
82 |
2005-06 |
Rouyn-Noran. |
QMJHL |
69 |
14 |
27 |
41 |
97 |
TONY
ROMANO
Center
Born: Smithtown, NY; January 5, 1988; Shoots
right. 5’11”, 180 lbs.; New Jersey’s 7th choice (6th
round), 178th overall.
Year |
Team |
League |
|
|
|
|
|
2005-06 |
New York Jr. |
AJHL |
40 |
50 |
52 |
102 |
38 |
KYELL
HENEGAN
Defenseman
Born: Montreal, Que.; October 27, 1987; Shoots
left. 6’4”, 205 lbs.; New Jersey’s 8th choice (7th round),
208th overall
Year |
Team |
League |
|
|
|
|
|
2004-05 |
Shawinigan |
QMJHL |
45 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
50 |
2005-06 |
Shawinigan |
QMJHL |
68 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
200 |
Not attending training camp (2006-07 team): Alexander Vasyunov (Yaroslavl, Rus.), Vladimir Zharkov (CSKA, Rus.), T.J. Miller (N. Michigan, CCHA), Tony Romano (Cornell, ECAC).
|