|
St.
Paul, MN – The Canadian Hockey League today
announced that 21 CHL players were selected in the
first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft matching
1998 as the most successful first round of the NHL
Entry Draft in CHL history.
“The Canadian Hockey League is very proud to see
another strong contingent of CHL players selected in
the first round of the NHL Entry Draft,” said CHL
President David Branch. “On behalf of the CHL I
would like to congratulate the players and their
families on this very special day and wish all
players the best of luck in their professional
careers. With 21 players selected the CHL continues
to be the number one provider of talent to the
National Hockey League.”
The 21 CHL players selected include 11 from the
Ontario Hockey League, five from the Western Hockey
League, and five from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey
League. This season marks the first time that 21 CHL
players were selected in a first round that
consisted of 30 picks, as there were only 27
selections made in 1998. 2011 also marks the first
time since 1998 when one player from each of the
three regional leagues had a player selected in the
top three.
Among the 21 first round picks, seven of the top 10
players selected were from the CHL including first
overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer
Rebels who became the fifth straight CHL player to
be chosen first overall and the first ever British
Columbia born player to be taken at number one when
he was selected by the Edmonton Oilers on Friday
night.
“I'm definitely going to be able to relate to all
the young guys in the system already,”
Nugent-Hopkins said. “So just joining a group like
that is very exciting for me. I just can't wait to
get started.”
A native of Burnaby, B.C., Nugent-Hopkins was chosen
first overall in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft and went
on to win the WHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2009-10
after scoring 24 goals and 65 points for the Rebels
as a 16-year-old. This year Nugent-Hopkins led the
Rebels and finished tied for third in the WHL in
scoring with 106 points while claiming the Top
Prospect Award at the annual CHL Awards Ceremony.
Following Nugent-Hopkins, the Colorado Avalanche
selected Gabriel Landeskog with the second overall
pick. Jonathan Huberdeau of the Saint John Sea Dogs
went third overall to the Florida Panthers. Ryan
Strome of the Niagara IceDogs went fifth overall to
the New York Islanders, and the Winnipeg Jets
selected Mark Scheifele of the Barrie Colts seventh
overall. The Philadelphia Flyers then selected Sean
Couturier with the eighth overall selection before
Dougie Hamilton became the second Niagara IceDog of
the day to be drafted when he went ninth overall to
the Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins.
Landeskog was the first OHL player selected at
number two and despite missing 15 games to injury
during the 2010-11 season, the captain managed to
lead the Rangers in scoring with 36 goals. He was
third on the team in points with 66 in just 53
games. The native of Sweden was a member of their
National Junior Team at the 2011 World Junior Hockey
Championship.
“I remember having Peter Forsberg up on my wall when
I was a little kid, and I also had the 2001 Stanley
Cup winning team poster up in my room,” Landeskog
said. “That's my goal to be in that picture one day
and to be there with the Colorado Avalanche. I'm
very excited.”
Huberdeau was one of three members of the Sea Dogs
selected in the first round. The Stafford Smythe
Memorial Trophy winner as MVP of the 2011 MasterCard
Memorial Cup led the Sea Dogs to their first ever
Memorial Cup title. He was the first Quebec-born
player to win the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy
since Danny Groulx of the Victoriaville Tigres in
2002.
“It's a great feeling to be selected by Florida.
It's a great team,” Huberdeau said. “It's a dream
since you're young, and now to get called it's a
foot in the door to make the NHL.”
Strome exploded for 33 goals and 106 points this
past season and established himself as one of the
OHL's top players. He helped the IceDogs finish with
the third best record in the OHL during the regular
season and then scored six goals and 12 points in 14
playoff games to help them advance to the Rogers
Eastern Conference Championship Series for the first
time in Niagara franchise history.
“Playing in Niagara has been great. I've gotten
consistently better each day,” Strome said. “I can't
thank the team enough, Marty Williamson, Mike Van
Ryn, Billy Burke, and the owners are second to none.
They're the greatest people in the world. They're
probably the proudest people now,” Strome added.
“It's such a welcoming organization and such a big
family there. Everyone's been so great, and
everyone's wished me the best of luck, and they're
the best.”
Scheifele became the first pick by the relocated
Winnipeg Jets organization going seventh overall. He
emerged as an elite OHL scorer with the Colts this
season, racking up 22 goals and 75 points. He is a
power forward that also skates well and shot up
scouting lists as the season progressed. He uses his
big frame to cause havoc in the difficult areas of
the ice.
“The opportunity to compete against the best players
was an intriguing factor that Dale Hawerchuk brought
up to me in our meeting when I talked to him last
year in August,” Scheifele said. “He said, you won't
be able to play against players like Hishon,
Gudbranson and all these great players that have
gone through here. To see all the guys that have
played in the OHL like Jeff Skinner, Taylor Hall,
Tyler Seguin, to see what great players have been
produced out of the OHL helped make up my mind and
kind of intrigued me going into the OHL. To know
it's such a great program there throughout all
teams.”
Couturier was the Michel-Bričre Trophy winner as the
QMJHL’s Most Valuable Player. In his third year in
the league, the Voltigeurs star scored 96 points in
only 58 games. Couturier also finished with an
exceptional +55. He helped the Voltigeurs to become
the first team in league history to win at least 45
games three years in a row.
“I was really lucky to be part of a great
organization, my three years in Drummondville were
awesome,” stated Couturier. “They treated me well.
They helped me a lot in my development and I thank
them. It's probably one of the reasons why I'm here
today.”
Hamilton won the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL's
Scholastic Player of the Year before also claiming
CHL Scholastic Player of the Year honours. The
six-foot-five blueliner plays a solid game at both
ends of the ice and scored 12 goals and 58 points
with the IceDogs this season.
“I definitely think the OHL is one of the best
leagues in the world,” said Hamilton. “They say the
CHL is the best development league in the world,
they're doing something right with the coaches and
development. It's great to see all our players
chosen tonight. I'm excited for all of them.”
The Saint John Sea Dogs led the way with three
players selected in the first round. In addition to
Huberdeau, Nathan Beaulieu going to the Montreal
Canadiens with the 17th overall pick, and Zack
Phillips going to the host Minnesota Wild with the
28th pick. Four CHL teams had two players selected
in the first round beginning with the two IceDogs
Strome and Hamilton in the top 10. Ryan Murphy of
the Kitchener Rangers was chosen 12th overall by the
Carolina Hurricanes joining Landeskog in the first
round. Two Portland Winterhawks were selected
including Sven Baertschi chosen 13th overall by the
Calgary Flames, and Joe Morrow chosen 23rd by the
Pittsburgh Penguins. Finally, two members of the
Plymouth Whalers were selected including Stefan
Noesen to the Ottawa Senators at 28, and Rickard
Rakell to the Anaheim Ducks 30th overall.
The 2010 NHL Entry Draft featured eight CHL players
selected in the top 10 including the first seven
straight picks, while seven CHL players were
selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft top 10
including the first five picks. Last season a total
of 17 CHL players were selected in the first round.
Follow Sarniasports on twitter
@sarniasports.
Get up to the minute news, and live scores
as they happen from local events. |
