June 26, 2010

For Immediate Release

 Two Former Electricians Selected in NHL Entry Draft

            Two former Marquette Electricians, Justin Florek and Kevin Gravel were both selected Saturday in the fifth round of the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft. Florek, 20, a Marquette native who currently plays for Northern Michigan University was selected by the Boston Bruins with the 15^th pick in the round (135 overall) and Gravel, 18, from Iron Mountain, who just completed the season with the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League was selected with the 28^th pick (148 overall) by the Los Angeles Kings.

            Florek and Gravel become the 4^th and 5^th former Electricians to be drafted by the National Hockey League.  In the 1994 Draft, Aniket Dhadphale, of Marquette, was selected in the 10^th round (245 overall) by the San Jose Sharks. Dhadphale retired in 2007 after playing 7 seasons of minor pro hockey in North America and Europe. Jeff Finger of Hancock, was drafted in 1999 by the Colorado Avalanche in the 8^th round (240 overall) and is currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Mark Olver, from Burnaby, British Columbia, who played for the NMU Wildcats, and finished this season with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League was selected in the 5^th round of the 2008 draft (140 overall) also by the Avalanche.

             “I am very happy for both Justin and Kevin,” said Electricians Head Coach Mike Dagenais, “and it also shows how the Electricians program provides a solid base from which players can advance to even the highest levels of hockey.”

FORMER ELECTRICIAN JOEL BENSON DRAFTED 4TH OVERALL IN THE USHL DRAFT

CHICAGO – Five Northern Lakes Hockey League alumni were drafted by United States Hockey League teams this week, including four in the entry draft and one in the futures draft.
The USHL is the United States’ only Tier 1 Junior “A” hockey league, and features over 230 players that are already committed to NCAA Division 1 schools. Former Marquette Electricians defenseman Joel Benson highlights the group. Benson was drafted fourth overall in the entry draft by the Chicago Steel.
Benson led all defensemen in scoring during the 2008-2009 NLHL season with three goals and nine points in 12 games. This past season Benson played with the Alpena IceDiggers of the North American Hockey League where he led the team in scoring by defensemen with 10 goals and 19 points.