The news that former Fargo North standout Danny Irmen was chosen by the Minnesota Wild with the 78th pick in the 2003 NHL Draft Saturday came as a surprise to former coach Don Smith.
But it was no revelation.
Smith said the potential was obvious even as a young Irmen skated for the Fargo Raiders.
"We knew he was a special talent," Smith said, "and from there it's a matter of how much drive they have and how much progression they make."
That progression continued when Irmen left the Spartans after starting as a freshman in 1999-2000, and continued at Grand Forks Red River and Lincoln (Neb.) of the United States Hockey League.
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A 6-foot, 190-pound forward, Irmen previously committed to, and still may attend, the University of Minnesota.
If and when he does join the Wild, Irmen, who had 55 points in 45 games last season, will have some familiar company in the NHL.
- Center Ryan Potulny, Irmen's teammate from Red River and Lincoln, and potentially at Minnesota, was taken No. 87 by Philadelphia.
- University of North Dakota sophomore-to-be Zach Parise, a center, went in the first round at No. 17 overall to the New Jersey Devils.
- Defenseman Matt Smaby, a UND signee and high school teammate of Parise at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minn., was taken by Tampa Bay at No. 41.
It's unknown if any of the four will bypass remaining college eligibility.
The Wild made Brent Burns, a right wing who spent last season in the Ontario Hockey League, the 20th overall pick.
Burns, 18, was ranked 39th among North American skaters by Central Scouting. He scored 15 goals and had 25 assists last season for the Brampton Battalion.
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He spent most of the first half of his rookie OHL season as a fourth-liner, but his stock rose in the second half as he led the Battalion with 11 points in 11 playoff games. He was named the OHL Rookie of the Month in March after scoring 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists) in 14 games.
Listed at 6-foot-4, 205-pounds, Burns would give the Wild some needed size up front with smaller players like Marian Gaborik, Pascal Dupuis and Pierre-Marc Bouchard, last year's first-round pick.
In the second round, the Wild selected center Patrick O'Sullivan, who played for Mississauga of the OHL last season and was ranked No. 20 by The Hockey News and 14th among North American skaters by Central Scouting.
Character questions were raised when O'Sullivan was sent home by Mississauga for a month to deal with off-ice issues.
Parise, meanwhile, had no such questions.
The son of former NHL player J.P. Parise, was a first-round lock, becoming the seventh Fighting Sioux player ever to be drafted in the first round. He is the highest UND player selected in the draft since defenseman Jason Herter was taken eighth overall by Vancouver in 1989.
Parise was a finalist for the Hobey Baker award, which goes to the top college player, and led Team USA in scoring at the 2003 World Junior Championships. He also was named to the All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association Third Team and the All-WCHA Rookie Team.
Irmen has yet to build a collegiate resume.
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Now, he may not need to.
"He really did have all the tools," Smith said. He was a big kid even as a freshman."
