As expected, the Baie-Comeau Drakkar selected the highly touted Nathan MacKinnon first overall. The Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native has been pegged as the best overall player available in this year’s draft all season.
MacKinnon was not in attendance and is reportedly looking at all of his options with regards to next season. Now the big question will be whether the Drakkar can get the young star to report to Baie-Comeau in the fall.
The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies traded the second overall pick in the pick to the Halifax Mooseheads in exchange for defenseman Simon Desmarais, the Mooseheads' fourth and 40th overall picks, and a third round pick in next year’s draft.
The Mooseheads selected Jonathan Drouin with the second overall selection. Drouin was in attendance and was presented with a custom Mooseheads jersey on stage. The forward was ranked second by QMJHL Central Scouting.
The Rimouski Oceanic selected third overall and took forward Guillaume Gauthier.
Following the trade with Halifax, the Huskies earned the right to pick fourth overall where they would take Justin Guenette. He became the first defenseman taken in the draft and the second straight player taken from St. Eustache.
The Val-d’Or Foreurs had the fifth overall selection and took Matt Murphy. The defenseman played ‘AAA’ hockey with the Fredericton Canadiens last season.
After congratulating the Sea Dogs on their Memorial Cup win, Guy Carbonneau and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens selected Jeremy Gregoire, a forward from Magog in the Quebec ‘AAA’ ranks.
The Oceanic had the next two picks. With the seventh overall pick they drafted defenseman Samuel Morin and took another defender, Simon Boudreau, eighth overall. Boudreau was ranked 24th by Central Scouting.
The PEI Rocket became the second Maritime team to make a selection as they drafted Ryan Graves, ninth overall. Graves spent last season playing ‘AAA’ in Nova Scotia with the South Shore Mustangs.
With the 10th overall pick the Sagueneens made their second selection of the first round by taking forward Simon Desbiens.
The Mooseheads had the 11th overall selection, a pick they acquired in yesterday’s Lewiston Maineiacs dispersal draft. With the pick they gained, the Herd drafted Zachary Fucale. He was the first goaltender taken in the draft.
The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles had the 12th overall selection and drafted defenseman Jean-Simon Deslauriers. It was the first “off the board” pick as he was ranked 58th by Central Scouting.
The Oceanic had yet another pick at 13th overall but chose to trade it to the Moncton Wildcats in exchange for a second and sixth round pick in this year’s draft along with a first rounder in next year’s selection process. With the pick, the Wildcats chose Brandon Shea.
Head coach and director of hockey operations Danny Flynn told VOX TV that the Boston based forward has not committed to Moncton yet. He does currently have a commitment to Boston College.
Before the pick, Wildcats owner Robert Irving congratulated the Sea Dogs as he attempted to speak some French.
The hometown Tigres had the 14th overall pick and selected forward Tommy Veilleux. They also had the 15th pick and selected defenseman Jacob Sweeney of the Quebec Cyclones.
The Foreurs selected again at No. 16. They would select forward Vincent Dunn who played ‘AAA’ hockey in Gatineau last season.
Chicoutimi had the second-to-last pick in the opening round and took forward Laurent Dauphin.
Rouyn-Noranda had the final pick in the first round, a selection they acquired in the Alexnadre Beauregard trade with Saint John. The Huskies took Alexnadre Belanger, a goaltender that was ranked sixth overall by Central Scouting.
Photo Credit: Halifax Mooseheads
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