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Miami’s Jack Roslovic selected 25th overall in NHL Draft

The Winnipeg Jets selected Jack Roslovic with the 25th pick in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft Friday night. Roslovic is the first Miami player to be chosen in the first round since Tyler Biggs went 22nd overall in 2011.

"It's great. It's an experience like no other, obviously," Roslovic told WinnipegJets.com after his selection. "I'm at a loss for words. But it's kinda a relief."

Roslovic begins his freshman year at Miami this fall.

During his 2014-15 campaign with the U.S. National Team Development Program, Roslovic ranked fourth in the U.S. U-18 team with 79 points (27 goals, 52 assists). He also led Team USA to a gold medal at the U-18 World Championship with six goals and five assists in seven games. The six-foot-one, 182-pound forward was recently invited to attend the U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp, which takes place August 1-8 in Lake Placid, New York.

Though he was predicted to go in the 30-40 range, Roslovic was not surprised he was picked at 25. He interviewed with the Winnipeg staff three times during the season.

"I know where I am now. It was stressful," Roslovic said. "I met with a lot of teams and heard a lot of different things. I think Winnipeg was definitely one of those teams I met at the combine and came to Ann Arbor, and I also met with them [Thursday], so I kinda felt them in that position and it felt good."

Roslovic is the first Columbus, Ohio native to be selected in the first round of an NHL draft.

"It means a ton to me," Roslovic said in his press conference. "Being a trailblazer, it's something I want to bring back to the city and show kids in Columbus that maybe you don't need a big hockey market to succeed. It's just about your work and what you put into it. Obviously, everyone around you helps you out a lot and I got a lot of help."

He grew up as a fan with season tickets to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and played for the AAA Ohio Blue Jacks for three years, but he's not upset he wasn't drafted by the home team.

"It would have been a good story, but it's the National Hockey League," Roslovic said. "It's still special."

Twenty-seven Miami players have been drafted since 2001.

Image from BSNDenver.com.

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