The NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau has released its final North America player ratings for this season.

They are in plenty of time for the NHL draft which is two months away; it starts June 20 in Ottawa.

The highest rated incoming Gophers’ recruit is defenseman Aaron Ness of Roseau (left). He is No. 27. He played for the U.S. team in an international tournament in Kazan, Russia which just ended. The U.S. team took third place.

Minnetonka defenseman Jake Gardiner is the highest rated state player overall. Gardiner, who has signed with Wisconsin, is No. 23. Forward Danny Kristo of Eden Prairie and the U.S. national development program in Ann Arbor, Mich., is rated No. 37. He is a North Dakota recruit.

Three other Gopher recruits are also in the top 200. Defenseman Sam Lofquist of the U.S. development program is No. 191. He is coming to the U  this fall. … Kristo and Lofquist also were in Kazan on the U.S. team.

Center Nate Condon of Wausau West is No. 78 and center Jake Youso of International Falls is No. 191. Both of them are expected to join the Gophers in 2009.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 at 5:37 pm and is filed under Gophers men's hockey. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.