MADISON -- Two current Wisconsin men's hockey student-athletes and one future student-athlete heard their names called during the second day of the 2012 NHL Draft on Saturday. This year's draft took place at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, site of the 2013 NCAA Men's Frozen Four.
Forward Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif.) heard his name early on Saturday when his hometown Anaheim Ducks made him the 36th overall choice a few picks into the second round. Kerdiles will be a freshman at Wisconsin this fall. He spent last season as a member of the U.S. Under-18 Team, and among other accomplishments, helped Team USA to gold at the 2012 IIHF Under-18 World Championship as the squad's leading scorer.
A short time later, defenseman Jake McCabe (Eau Claire, Wis.), who heads into his sophomore season at UW, was chosen by the Buffalo Sabres. McCabe went 44th overall to the same team that drafted fellow UW sophomore Brad Navin in last year's draft.
McCabe posted three goals and 12 points in 26 games played as a Badger rookie to rank seventh on the team. He finished the season with six points in his last eight contests.
The third and final Badger selected was sophomore forward Brendan Woods (Fairfax, Va.), who went to the Carolina Hurricanes in the fifth round at No. 129 overall. Woods scored five goals and 10 points in 34 games his freshman season.
