DEVILS SELECT HUGHES WITH FIRST OVERALL PICK
The New Jersey Devils selected center Jack Hughes of USA Hockey’s Under-18 team from the National Team Development Program first overall. Hughes is the eighth American-born player selected first overall in the NHL Draft and the first since Auston Matthews in 2016 by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Year First Overall Picked By Birthplace
2019 Jack Hughes New Jersey Orlando, Fla.
2016 Auston Matthews Toronto San Ramon, Calif.
2007 Patrick Kane Chicago Buffalo, N.Y.
2006 Erik Johnson St. Louis Bloomington, Minn.
2000 Rick DiPietro NY Islanders Winthrop, Mass.
1995 Bryan Berard Ottawa Woonsocket, R.I.
1988 Mike Modano Minnesota Livonia, Mich.
1983 Brian Lawton Minnesota New Brunswick, N.J.
* With Hughes going first overall, he and Quinn Hughes (7th overall by Vancouver in 2018) became the fifth set of brothers selected in the first round of the NHL Draft in consecutive years.
RECORD-SETTING 7 USNTDP PLAYERS SELECTED AMONG TOP 15; 8 OVERALL
Seven players from USA Hockey’s Under-18 team from the National Team Development Program were selected among the top 15 picks at the 2019 NHL Draft, the most ever from one team at that stage of the draft. Eight NTDP players went in the first round overall.
Pick Player Picked By Birthplace
1 Jack Hughes New Jersey Orlando, Fla.
5 Alex Turcotte Los Angeles Elk Grove, Ill.
9 Trevor Zegras Anaheim Bedford, N.Y.
12 Matthew Boldy Minnesota Milford, Mass.
13 Spencer Knight Florida Stamford, Conn.
14 Cameron York Philadelphia Anaheim, Calif.
15 Cole Caufield Montreal Mosinee, Wisc.
30 John Beecher Boston Elmira, N.Y.
KAKKO SELECTED BY RANGERS SECOND OVERALL
The New York Rangers’ selection of Kaapo Kakkomarks the second time in four years and the fourth time overall that a Finnish-born player has been selected second overall. A Finnish-born player has never been selected first overall.
Pick Player Draft Year Picked By
2 Kaapo Kakko 2019 NY Rangers
2 Patrik Laine 2016 Winnipeg
2 Aleksander Barkov 2013 Florida
2 Kari Lehtonen 2002 Atlanta
COZENS MAKES HISTORY AS FIRST YUKON-BORN FIRST ROUNDER
Center Dylan Cozens (Whitehorse, Yukon) became the first player born in Yukon selected in the first round of the NHL Draft when the Buffalo Sabresclaimed him seventh overall. Before Cozens, the only Yukon-born players drafted were Whitehorse natives Peter Sturgeon (36th overall in 1974, Boston Bruins) and Bobby House (66th overall in 1991, Chicago Blackhawks).
Overall, 10 players born in one of the three Canadian Territories have been drafted – with Yellowknife, N.W.T., natives Greg Vaydik (7th in 1975, Chicago Blackhawks) and Vic Mercredi (16th in 1973, Atlanta Flames) the only first-round picks.
SEIDER SECOND-EARLIEST GERMAN PLAYER SELECTED
Defenseman Moritz Seider (Zell, Germany), taken sixth overall by the Detroit Red Wings, is the second-highest German-born and trained player to be selected in the NHL Draft. Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl led (Cologne) was taken third overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2014.
NEWHOOK FIRST NEWFOUNDLAND-BORN FIRST ROUNDER IN 22 YEARS
Center Alex Newhook (Victoria, BCHL) was selected 16th overall by the Colorado Avalanche. The St. John’s native becomes the sixth Newfoundland native picked in the first round of the NHL Draft and the first since the Chicago Blackhawks claimed Daniel Cleary 13th overall in 1997.
FIRST-ROUND BLOODLINES
Jack Hughes (No. 1 overall, New Jersey): His brother, Quinn, was selected seventh overall in the 2018 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks and recorded 0-3—3 in five games with the club in 2018-19. His father, Jim, was a member of the U.S. Selects team that won the 1988 Spengler Cup and has held a number of coaching and player development positions in the NCAA, IHL, AHL and NHL. His mother, Ellen, played soccer, lacrosse and hockey at the University of New Hampshire and is a former member of the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team.
Bowen Byram (No. 4 overall, Colorado): His father, Shawn, was a fourth-round selection of the New York Islanders in 1986 (80th overall) and appeared in five NHL games with the Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks.
Alex Turcotte (No. 5 overall, Los Angeles): His father, Alfie, was selected 17th overall in the 1983 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens and skated in 112 career NHL games with the Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals.
Samuel Poulin (No. 21 overall, Pittsburgh): His father, Patrick, was selected ninth overall in the 1991 NHL Draft by the Hartford Whalers and appeared in 634 career NHL games with the Whalers, Blackhawks, Lightning and Canadiens from 1991-2002.
Nolan Foote (No. 27 overall, Tampa Bay): His father, Adam, is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion (1996 and 2001 w/COL) who patrolled the blueline for 1,154 career NHL games with the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets. His brother, Callan, was selected 14th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Ryan Suzuki (No. 28 overall, Carolina): His brother, Nick, was selected 13th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Draft and is currently a prospect in the Montreal Canadiens system. In 2018-19, Nick was awarded the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as OHL Playoffs MVP after leading all skaters in postseason points with 16-26—42 in 24 games for the OHL Champion Guelph Storm.
Ryan Johnson (No. 31 overall, Buffalo): His father, Craig, was selected 33rd overall by the St. Louis Blues in 1990 and played in 557 career NHL games with the Blues, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals.
LIGHTNING FOOTE NOTE
The Tampa Bay Lightning selected LW Nolan Foote(Kelowna, WHL) with the 27th overall pick. Nolan and Cal Foote (14th overall, 2017) are the fourth set of brothers to be chosen in the first round of the NHL draft by the same team. The others:
Dave and Mark Hunter, Montreal Canadiens
(Dave 17th overall in 1978; Mark 7th overall in 1981)
Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
(Daniel 2nd overall and Henrik 3rd overall in 1999)
Duane and Brent Sutter, New York Islanders
(Duane 17th overall in 1979, Brent 17th overall in 1980)
TRADE
Philadelphia traded its 1st-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft (11th overall) to Arizona for Arizona’s 1st-round pick in 2019 (14th overall) and 2nd-round pick in 2019 (45th overall).
BREAKDOWN OF PICKS BY BIRTHPLACE, LEAGUE
* A breakdown of the first 31 picks by birthplace: Canada and USA (11); Sweden (4); Finland (3); Germany and Russia (1).
* Total first-round picks by amateur league: NTDP (8); WHL (7); OHL (4); FINLAND (2); QMJHL (2); SWEDEN JR. (2); BCHL (1); GERMANY (1); RUSSIA-2 (1); SWEDEN (1); SWEDEN-2 (1); USHL (1).
