Boston College Athletics
Eagles Fare Well at 2005 NHL Entry Draft
July 30, 2005 | Men's Hockey
July 30, 2005
Boston College sophomore forward Dan Bertram was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round while incoming freshmen Anthony Aiello, Nathan Gerbe, Tim Kunes, Brock Bradford and Andrew Orpik were also selected during the 2005 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Bertram was a second-round draft choice - No. 54 overall - of the Chicago Blackhawks. As a freshman at BC, Bertram recorded 17 points - nine goals, eight assists - in 39 games in 2004-05. His three game-winning goals were tied for second on the team. Bertram was twice named Hockey East Player of the Week, with both honors coming in the month of October as a result of excellent performances against Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) powers Denver and North Dakota.
Bertram, a native of Calgary, Alberta, helped lead Team Canada to the silver medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation U-18 World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic.
Aiello, a fifth-round selection - No. 129 overall - of the Minnesota Wild, registered 37 points - 11 goals and 26 assists - in 33 games as a senior at Thayer Academy. A local product out of Braintree, Mass., Aiello earned All-New England first-team honors during his junior and senior campaigns and was an All-Independent School league selection three times.
Gerbe was picked in the fifth round - No. 142 overall - by the Buffalo Sabres. He played the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons in the U.S. National Team Development Program. The Oxford, Mich., resident recorded 29 points - 13 goals and 16 assists - in 38 games with the U.S. National Under-18 Team in 2004-05. Gerbe helped the U.S. National Under-18 Team capture the gold medal at the 2005 IIHF World Championship in Plzen, Czech Republic, registering four goals and four assists in six tournament games.
Kunes, who was chosen by the Carolina Hurricanes also in the fifth round - No. 145 overall - played the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons for the New England Junior Falcons of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) and earned All-EJHL second-team honors in 2004-05. Kunes, who hails from Huntington, N.Y., was named the team Player of the Year and Defenseman of the Year in 2004-05 after leading all defensemen with 40 points - 12 goals and 28 assists - in 50 games.
Bradford was a seventh-round pick - No. 217 overall - of the Boston Bruins on Saturday. He recorded 57 points - 24 goals and 33 assists - in 60 games with the Omaha Lancers in 2004-05. The Burnaby, British Columbia native played the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons with the Coquitlam Express of the British Columbia Hockey League. Additionally, Bradford teamed with Bertram to lead Team Canada to the gold medal at the 2004 Under-18 Junior World Cup in Slovakia.
Orpik, a seventh-round selection - No. 227 overall - of the Buffalo Sabres, registered 20 points during his senior season at Thayer Academy. A native of East Amherst, Mass., he attended Williamsville, North (N.Y.) High School before spending the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons at Thayer. He helped the Tigers capture the 2004 Independent School League title.
