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(Posted
8:30 a.m., June 26)
Gudbranson
selected third overall by Florida Panthers
By
Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
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|  The
Florida Panthers made Chapel Hill South resident Erik Gudbranson the third overall
pick in Friday's NHL entry draft. Gudbranson becomes the highest Orléans-area
player ever selected in the NHL draft. NHL photos
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Chapel
Hill South resident Erik Gudbranson is a giant step closer to fulfilling his boyhood
dream after being selected third overall in the NHL Entry Draft by the Florida
Panthers.. Gudbranson
sat and watched with his family as Tyler Hall and Tyler Seguin were picked first
and second respectively by the Edmonton Oilers and the Boston Bruins, and then
Florida GM Dale Tallon took the stage to make the Panthers' selection. As
his name was announced, Gudbranson's parents Donna Leith-Gudbranson and Wayne
Gudbranson started crying tears of joy and relief as months of speculation became
a reality in the blink of an eye. "I’ve
never been squeezed so hard by my dad and my mom was ecstatic. It was a great
feeling and something I never will forget,” Gudbranson told the Ottawa
Sun's Bruce Garrioch, who is in Los Angeles to cover the draft. The
Gloucester Rangers product becomes only the seventh player from the Ottawa area
to go in the Top 10 in the last 30 years. Claude Giroux was the last local player
selected in the NHL draft, going 22nd overall to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2006.
“This
is an absolute dream come true. This is where I wanted to be ever since I came
from the combine,” said Gudbranson. “I’ve worked hard for this
and I understand there’s a lot of work to be done, but I’m very excited
about the opportunity.”. Before
getting a chance to play in the NHL, Gudbranson must first negotiate a contract
with the Panthers, a job that will be left up to his agent Don Meighan who is
widely regarded as one of the best in the business. Contract
or no contract, Gudbranson will report to the Panthers' rookie camp in August
and training camp a week later. '(Posted
8:30 a.m., June 22) Return
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