RoughRiders pick 4 in USHL's Futures Draft

CEDAR RAPIDS - They didn't have quantity, but they feel they came away with quality.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders selected four players in Tuesday night's United States Hockey League Futures Draft, led by defenseman Johnny Walker. The Arizona native was the team's first pick (34th overall) after playing this past season for Culver Academy in Indiana.

That's the former home of the Riders' 2011 No. 1 Futures Pick Andrew Oglevie, who played this past season for the Riders.

“The staff did a really good job of identifying him,” said RoughRiders Coach/General Manager Mark Carlson. “He plays hard and he moves the puck well.”

The RoughRiders had only four picks instead of six because of recent tenders to goaltender Chris Birdsall of New Jersey and defenseman Paul O'Connor of St. Louis. They selected forward Ryan Wagner of Regis Jesuit High School in Colorado with their second pick, fourth round, and defenseman Austin Kamer of the famed Belle Tire program in Detroit with their fifth-round selection.

Last, they took Mitch Reinke, a sophomore defenseman at Stillwater (Minn.) High School. He is being coached there by hockey fall of famer Phil Housley.

“We always go with the best player available,” Carlson said. “We drafted a goalie, three defensemen and two forwards here, so we feel that's good balance for our future.

The Future Draft includes player with a 1996 birthday. The 2012 USHL Entry Draft  is May 22.

Here is a video interview by the USHL with Reinke:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUfr23EAfBDuet8f4Yqsd8mQ&feature=player_detailpage&v=u_UeR30Odzo