RED WINGS DRAFT DEFENSEMAN SMITH IN FIRST-ROUND

Detroit, MI…Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland today announced the club selected five players in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Â
           Detroit began its draft by choosing defenseman Brendan Smith from Toronto-St. Michael’s of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in the first-round (27th overall). The 6’1”, 170-pound blueliner scored 12 goals and 24 assists for 36 points in 39 games in 2006-07. It marks just the fourth time since 1998 that the Red Wings drafted a player in the first round. Including Smith, all four of Detroit’s first-round picks over the last 10 years have been defenseman. The Red Wings chose Jiri Fischer (25th overall) in 1998, Niklas Kronwall (29th overall) in 2000 and Jakub Kindl (19th overall) in 2005.
Â
           With its second pick the Wings selected center Joakim Andersson in the third round (88th overall). Andersson, who hails from Sweden, played for Frolunda Sweden of the Swedish Junior League in 2006-07. He tallied 20 goals and 26 assists for 46 points in 41 games.
Â
           The Red Wings dipped into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s (QMJHL) talent pool for its third pick, drafting center Randy Cameron in the fifth round (148th overall). A native of Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, Cameron played the 2006-07 campaign with Moncton of the QMJHL. At 5’11”, 175-pounds, Cameron collected 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points in 70 games.
Â
           Detroit closed out its draft by selecting Zack Torquato and Bryan Rufenach in the sixth (178th overall) and seventh rounds (208th overall), respectively. Torquato, 6’0”, 195-pounds, racked up 30 goals and 39 assists for 69 points while playing for the OHL’s Erie Otters in 2006-07. Rufenach spent the 2006-07 season with Linday of the OPJRA.