The Niagara IceDogs have three players who have been ranked in NHL Central Scouting's final 2010 Entry Draft Rankings.

Goaltender Mark Visentin has been rewarded for his strong play over the second half of the season, remaining the top ranked OHL goalie, while moving up in the North American Goalie Rankings from eighth at midterm to fourth in the final rankings.

Visentin had a 2.99 GAA and .911 save percentage in 55 games and Al Jensen of Central Scouting compares his style to that of Carolina goalie Cam Ward

"Mark has really come a long way from last year as an underager to now," Jensen said. "His play has increased immensely. He's technically very sound -- maybe one of the most technically-sound goalies in this draft. He works really hard, has great leg strength and plays very determined. His glove hand is exceptional and he's very good at handling the puck."

Also making a big jump in the Final Rankings was IceDogs forward Freddie Hamilton.  Hamilton was ranked 102 among North American skaters at midterm, but was able to make the jump all the way up to 62 in the final rankings, thanks to a strong second half of the season.

Hamilton finished his sophomore campaign with 25 goals and 30 assists in 64 games to go along with a +6 rating.  His point total of 55 nearly doubled his rookie campaign which saw Hamilton put up 28 points in 65 games.

The third IceDog to crack the rankings was defenseman Mike Schwindt, who went from being unranked at the midterm to being ranked 183 among North American skaters in the final rankings.

The 6'4", 212 lbs. native of Mount Forest played in 67 games for the IceDogs and had eight assists, doubling his assist total from his rookie season.

The ranking is part of a consistent climb Schwindt has made since being selected in the 13th round, 255 overall by the IceDogs in the 2007 OHL Priority Selection and is certainly well deserved.

The next step for Hamilton and Visentin will be the NHL Scouting Combine in Toronto May 24th-29th where they will join 98 other top draft eligible players to give teams an opportunity to meet and conduct interviews with the players, as well as seeing them tested in an off-ice setting.

The combine will be followed a month later by the main event for the players, the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, which will take place at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on June 25th and 26th.

The IceDogs would like to congratulate all three players on their rankings and look forward to hopefully hearing their names called come June.