By Ron Rop
LocalSportsJournal.com

Five players with ties to the Muskegon Lumberjacks were drafted Saturday in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft in Pittsburgh.

That group includes Adam Gilmour, Doyle Somerby, Brendan Woods, Matt DeBlouw and Jaycob Megna.

Former Muskegon Lumberjack Matt DeBlouw addresses the media after being selected by the Calgary Flames in the seventh round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Gilmour was the Jacks’ first-round draft pick, second overall, in last month’s USHL Entry Draft.  Gilmour was chosen in the fourth round, 98th overall, by the Minnesota Wild. Gilmour is committed to playing at Boston College starting with the 2013-14 season.

Somerby, a 6-foot-4, 232-pound defenseman, also was an USHL draft pick by the Jacks. He played high school hockey at Kimball Union in New Hampshire. He was chosen in the fifth round, 125th overall, by the New York Islanders.

Later in the fifth round, Brendan Woods was chosen 129th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes. Woods, a forward, played in the inaugural season for the Lumberjacks. He recently completed his freshman year for the University of Wisconsin Badgers.

DeBlouw was chosen in the seventh round, 186th overall, by the Calgary Flames, who had acquired that pick from the Chicago Blackhawks in an earlier deal.

“That was a little bit nerve wracking,” said DeBlouw, about being taken in the last round, “but that doesn’t matter now. I’d sit through it again.”  DeBlouw knew the Flames were interested in him. “They said they were planning on taking me higher, but something else must have come up.”

The draft pick – who still has a full day ahead of him, including family photos and a reception for draft pics at his hotel –  is excited to get started with his new team, where he’ll get a chance to prove himself.

“Doesn’t matter where you are taken,” he said. “Everybody has a clean slate, a new beginning. We will see how it goes.”

DeBlouw, 6-foot-0, 179 pounds, will attend Michigan State University this fall. He reports to MSU July 2, but will also attend rookie development camp July 8-13 in Calgary.

Megna, 6-foot-4, 202 pounds, played one season for the Jacks and recently completed his freshman season for the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He was a seventh-round pick, 210th overall, by Anaheim.

The USHL had six players from last season drafted in the first round, two in the second round, two in the third round, three in the fourth round, four in the fifth round, five in the sixth round and two in the seventh round.

This story will be updated as more information comes available.