The third time was the charm for one of the best to ever wear the Oilers jersey.
Okotoks Oilers alumnus Rhett Gardner’s third trip through the NHL Entry Draft was the lucky one as the Dallas Stars used their fourth round pick to select the versatile North Dakota Fighting Hawks centre on Saturday.
“Definitely compared to other years I knew there was a much better chance that I would end up getting picked,” said Gardner, the 116th overall selection. “I thought I would be more of a sixth or seventh round pick so I was a little surprised to go where I did.
“I didn’t talk to the Stars at all this year so that kind of caught me off guard, but I’m really excited about it.”
The 20-year-old is the fifth Oiler to be drafted into the NHL ranks, four of whom attended North Dakota, and the second highest selection in team history. He’s the first Okotoks graduate to be drafted since defenceman Rhett Holland went 110th overall to the then Phoenix Coyotes in 2012.
In two seasons with the green-and-gold, Gardner was the proverbial five-tool player on the ice.
From faceoff prowess, to acumen in all three zones and strong possession play in the corners, the Moose Jaw native was a true all-around workhorse. In 91 games from 2013-15 in Okotoks he registered 37 goals and 91 points.
Despite his strong turn in Big Rock Country, Gardner was twice passed over in the draft.
“I definitely didn’t get my hopes up the same way I did those first two years. I knew being a free agent would be a good option too,” he said. “But this year I definitely had a lot more confidence going into draft day compared to year’s past just because of the year I had.”
And what a year it was.
Gardner traded green jerseys last summer when he transitioned smoothly from Okotoks to Grand Forks.
The six-foot-two forward turned in a freshman campaign to remember in helping the Fighting Hawks to their eighth NCAA Division I national championship in school history.
Playing primarily a checking and defensive role, Gardner led his conference in faceoff wins among freshmen and chipped in offensively with 11 goals and 18 points.
“I owe Okotoks so much and UND this year,” he said. “My game grew a lot my two years in Okotoks with the coaching staff there and the players I played with there. This year at UND my game just jumped to another level.”
Gardner sets off for Stars Development Camp in Texas from July 5-9. He will return to Grand Forks for his sophomore campaign in the fall and plans to play all four seasons at North Dakota.
“Being a kid you always want to have an opportunity to play in the NHL,” he said. “Right now I’m still focused on developing my game and trying to get to the next level. The Stars just gave me an opportunity and something to work for.
“I will go back to UND with a little more hunger in my game to try to take the next step.”
From a third opportunity to a second chance.
High River native Conner Bleackley had his name called at the NHL Draft for the second time in a tumultuous three-year span.
Following an injury riddled season with the Red Deer Rebels in which he was stripped of the captaincy and traded away by the team who originally drafted him into the NHL, Bleackley’s year ended with a positive when the St. Louis Blues selected the 20-year-old in the fifth round on Saturday.
The skilled centre was a 2014 first-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche yet never signed with the club. The Avs then traded Bleackley’s rights to the Arizona Coyotes on trade deadline day in February. Arizona swiftly made it known they would not be signing the forward and he would be entering the draft.
One of the most talented players to ever come out of the Foothills Bisons program, Bleackley put up 80 goals and 183 points in 259 games with the Rebels and turned in a strong performance coming back from injury in the 2016 Memorial Cup. For full results from the 2016 NHL Entry Draft visit nhl.com/draft
