INDIANAPOLIS – A host of former and current Indiana Ice players are hoping to hear their names called this weekend during the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The two-day event takes place tonight and Saturday from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The first round will be completed tonight with rounds two through seven occurring on Saturday.

Players with draft aspirations include forwards Stanislav Galiev, Charlie Coyle, Kevin Hayes, Jacob Fallon and Brian Ferlin, defensemen Nick Mattson, Patrick McNally and Anthony Bitetto and goaltender Cab Morris.

Galiev should be the first to go as he was rated 20th in NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings among North American skaters. He was a member of the Ice’s 2009 Clark Cup Championship team where he posted 64 points (26G, 35A) in the regular season and nine points (5G, 4A) during the team’s playoff run.

Forwards Charlie Coyle and Kevin Hayes were former Indiana Ice Futures Draft selections and are rated 24th and 26th respectively among North American skaters. Coyle heads to Boston University this fall, while Hayes will be right around the corner at Boston College.

McNally was drafted by the Ice in the 2010 USHL Draft and is ranked 40th in the NHL Central Scouting rankings.

Fallon, who heads to Michigan this fall, is ranked 68th among North American skaters. He placed in the top ten in half of the tested categories during the 2010 NHL scouting combine, held in Edmonton AB, Canada, this past May.

All-star defenseman Nick Mattson enters this year’s draft class ranked 95th overall. The 6-1 blueliner will be back in an Ice uniform this autumn after tallying 19 points (5G, 14A) last year with Indy. Right behind Mattson is returning Ice forward Brian Ferlin who is slotted at 141st in the NHL Central Scouting rankings. He contributed 16 points (6G, 10A) in his USHL debut last season.

Other former Ice players who could hear their names called this weekend include Northeastern bound defenseman Anthony Bitetto and goaltender Cab Morris who will occupy the crease at Dartmouth next season.

For more information please visit us at www.Indianaice.com .