May 12, 2004
Toronto, Ont. – The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Central Scouting Service has listed three current Notre Dame hockey players among the top 200 North Americans in their final rankings of players eligible for the 2004 NHL Entry Draft scheduled for June 25-27 in Raleigh, N.C. Freshman defenseman Wes O’Neill (Essex, Ont.) and freshman forward Michael Bartlett (Morton Grove, Ill.) were ranked among the top 231 North American skaters and goaltender David Brown (Fr., Stoney Creek, Ont.) was among the top 30 ranked goaltenders.
O’Neill, a 6-4, 215-pound defenseman, leads the Irish contingent as he is ranked 23rd among North Americans and fourth among collegiate players behind North Dakota forward Drew Stafford (7th), Michigan State defenseman A.J. Thelen (11th) and Dartmouth defenseman Grant Lewis (21st). The left-handed shooting defenseman played in all 39 games for the Irish with two goals and 10 assists for 12 points. He was +7 on the year to rank fourth on the team and first among Notre Dame defensemen. He was ranked 19th in Central Scoutings mid-season rankings. Born on March 3, 1986, O’Neill is an “opt-in” player for this year’s draft.
Freshman Michael Bartlett played all three forward postions for the Irish. He is ranked 200th among North Americans in Central Scoutings final rankings.
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Bartlett is a 6-0, 193-pound forward who saw duty at all three forward positions during the season, recording six goals and six assists for 12 points in 39 games. One of the goals was a power-play tally and one was a game winner. The Morton Grove, Ill., native is ranked 200th overall by Central Scouting and is 31st among collegiate players. His rankings have improved over the season as he moved up from a mid-season ranking of 211th overall and 36th among college skaters.
David Brown is ranked 25th among all North American goaltenders and second among collegians for the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
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Brown ranks 25th among the 30 goaltenders rated and is second among collegiate goaltenders. Only Michigan’s Al Montoya (1st overall) is ranked ahead of Brown among the collegians. On the year, Brown played in 26 games for Notre Dame and turned in a 14-7-3 overall record with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. The goals-against average and save percentage are single-season Notre Dame records. Brown recorded a school-record four shutouts this season and was the CCHA rookie of the week three times, CCHA defensive player of the week, once and in October, was the Hockey Commissioner’s Association’s (HCA) national rookie of the month. He was an honorable mention HCA rookie of the month for January and February. Brown was ranked 29th overall in the mid-season rankings.