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| June 21, 2008
By Doug Jones
McCollum is one of four Americans drafted in the first round of the NHL entry draft
2008 Stanley Cup Champs make McCollum number one pick
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For the first time since 1973, the Detroit Red Wings picked a goaltender in the first-round.
With the final pick in the first round of the NHL draft at Scotiabank Place on Friday night, the Stanley Cup-champion Red Wings selected Guelph Storm goalie Thomas McCollum.
Detroit took Terrance Richardson from New Westminster in 1973 - the last time the Red Wings made a goalie a first-round pick.
Below is conversation from McCollum and the Stanley Cup champion staff of the Wings.
McCollum admits he was thinking about packing things in before the round ended, but remembered his interview with Detroit.
"I thought it went pretty well," he said. "I just never really knew where I was going because goalie weren't really talked about."
Detroit last made a goalie a top priority in 2003 when the Red Wings took Jimmy Howard in the second round.
Nill said the selection of McCollum is in no way meant to send a message to Howard or try to fill the void left by the retirement of Dominik Hasek.
"He's just 18 years old," Nill said. "He's four, five, maybe six years away."
The Red Wings had talked before the draft about trading out of the first round to try and acquire an extra pick in the second round. Detroit has no pick in that round after handing its selection over to the Los Angeles Kings when the team acquired Brad Stuart.
"We had two of the 20 guys on our list when we picked," Nill said. "McCollum and another guy and if neither was there, we would have traded."
Congratulations to former Buffalo Wing, Tom McCollum, NHL first round draft pick and Detroit Red Wing!
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