Since I personally knew next-to-nothing about the Boston Bruins draft picks before the Black and Gold's executives decided to select them, here's some info on the B's top two picks from assorted web sites with a link to the actual site as well...

 Zach Hamill
*****
Country: Canada
Position: Center
League: WHL
Team: Everett Silvertips
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 190
Shoots: Right
*****
Scouting Report: The long tenured Silvertip center has technically played four years of CHL hockey and as a result is eligible to play in the AHL as soon as this coming season .. a calm presence on the ice who never looks rattled .. has come a long way from being a small, skinny centerman flashing tremendous raw skill to now being a complete forward with high end talent ..

Still adding mass to his frame, but is no longer considered a small player .. great skater with quiet individual ingredients as nothing about his skating style stands out .. owns a magnificent pair hands and ability to thread passes as he sees them .. floats around processing the play in the offensive zone and then gets himself into great positions to shoot or pass .. equally as good shooting the puck and elects to smartly put his shots on net regardless of what quality the shots are ..

Is an underrated goal scorer as he has great patience with the puck on his stick .. often waits for the goalie to give him daylight and once he sees an opening he fires .. high assist total comes in part from playing with goal scorer Beach .. works hard and is usually the first backchecker .. shows guts by going into the corners and does not hesitate to work his man over and rough him up .. not a hitter at all but is not soft ..

Overall hockey instincts are impressive as he always appears to know what to do in every situation .. a great defensive center for all of his offensive skill .. could stand to become a little more physical .. has added 10 pounds since last year but still needs to strengthen his lower body some more .. can get knocked off the puck easily at times .. A quiet and unassuming centerman who has the skill and smarts to make the NHL as a second line center.

*****
2006-2007 Regular Season Stats
*****
69 games 32 goals 61 assists 93 points +16 90 PIM
*****
2007 Playoff Stats
*****
12 games 2 goals 8 assists 10 points +/-0 16 PIM
*****
Draft Day Status/Projection: Hamill looks to be all over the place as far as rankings go, but we think he is a solid centerman in a draft full of risks and unknowns. DraftBuzz likens him to a less potent Sam Gagner. We rank him 8th, but can realistically see him getting drafted from the 12th pick to the 30th pick by a team who will like the option of playing him in the minors 2007-2008.

Tommy Cross Scouting Report as well a great story from the New England Hockey Journal on the Simsbury, Connecticut natve and avowed Bruins and Red Sox fan. Personally, I love to see a Boston team like the Bruins taking the local skaters and keeping them within their system. Cross, by the way, has a verbal committment to start playing hockey at Boston College in 2008-09.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Westminster • High-CT
6'3", 195 lbs.
Defense
Shoots left
Born: September 12, 1989 in Hartford, CT
Final Ranking: 12 • Mid-Term Ranking: 10
North American Skater

Central Scouting Report: A stay-at-home defenseman with good lateral mobility and quickness… skates the puck quickly into open areas to expand his passing options… has a strong shot from the point and is effective running a power-play… can be physical in the defensive zone and in front-net coverage…

very focused on his defensive game, but needs to realize his offensive skill and contribute more… needs to increase his tempo and play with more urgency.A stay-at-home defenseman with good lateral mobility and quickness… skates the puck quickly into open areas to expand his passing options…

has a strong shot from the point and is effective running a power-play… can be physical in the defensive zone and in front-net coverage… very focused on his defensive game, but needs to realize his offensive skill and contribute more… needs to increase his tempo and play with more urgency.

Hockey Profile: Completed his first season with Westminster, posting 20 points (8-12-20) in 25 games… competed for Team USA at the Under-18 Four Nations Cup in Sweden in November 2006… played in the Under-18 Junior World Cup, winning a silver medal with the U.S. in 2006…

won gold at the Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Switzerland in 2006… had 15 goals, 35 assists for 50 points in 22 games played in 2005-06 with Simsbury High... was named Connecticut’s Hockey Player of the Year in 2005-06... also plays baseball, was an All-Conference Baseball Selection in 2006… has committed to Boston College for 2008.

Personal Profile: Nickname is TC… if he could have dinner with any three people he would choose: his favorite player Detroit Red Wings’ defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, President George W. Bush – “a role model for me because I have been president of my school for three years” and his mom, Kelly Cross – “she is the best cook in the world”… most memorable hockey game played: 2006 Under-18 Junior World Cup against Team Canada because of the “historical rivalry and the chance to win a gold medal”…

Most memorable hockey game watched: 2004 Connecticut State High School Championship “my dad’s team won their first state championship in the history of the school”… credits his dad as the person that has had the most influence on his career – Tom Cross played hockey at Dartmouth College, class of ’82...

He admires his mom because “she is the hardest working person I have ever met and she always has a positive attitude”… ambition outside of hockey is to be a major college athletic director, a college coach or a politician… patterns his game after Nicklas Lidstrom – “he is solid defensively and makes plays every time he touches the puck”…

His pre-game meal has to be either spaghetti and meatballs or chicken parmesan… favorites include: Detroit Red Wings (NHL team), five-hole shot (shootout move), Fifa 2007 (video game), Matthew McConaughey (actor), Rudy (movie), The Eagles (band) and SportsCenter (TV show).

Statistics
Season Team         League   GP  G  A  PTS PIM
2006-07 Westmin. High-CT  25   8 12   20   20