Bedard of North Vancouver was expected to finish 1st in NHL draft
NASHVILLE –
The NHL Awards ceremony held Monday night at Bridgestone Arena provided a casual country, cozy comedy atmosphere.
Expect things to get more businesslike as the NHL entry draft takes over the home arena of the Nashville Predators for two exciting days of decisions.
The draft consists of seven rounds, with the opening round taking place on Wednesday evening. Rounds 2 through 7, which include all 224 player selections, will be held on Thursday.
Set to make the first overall pick on Wednesday just after 7 PM ET, the Chicago Blackhawks are expected to tackle teen phenom Connor Bedard of North Vancouver, BC, who played this season for the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats, where he had 71 goals and 72 assists. 57 games in the regular season.
The Anaheim Ducks are second, followed by the Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks and Montreal Canadiens.
The Vancouver Canucks get the 11th pick, followed by the Calgary Flames in 16th, Winnipeg Jets in 18th and the Toronto Maple Leafs in 28th. Round 1 ends after 32 players have been selected.
Players expected to be called up early include University of Michigan center Adam Fantilli, Swedish Hockey League center Leo Carlsson, Vancouver Giants forward Samuel Honzek, U.S. National Development Team forwards Will Smith and Ryan Leonard Program, forward Matvei Michkov of St. Petersburg in the KHL, and Nanaimo, BC product Matthew Wood of the UConn men’s hockey team.
