MAPLE LEAFS SELECT MATTHEWS FIRST OVERALL
The Toronto Maple Leafs selected forward Auston Matthews (Scottsdale, Ariz.) with the top pick, making him the seventh U.S.-born player to go No. 1 overall in the NHL Draft and the first since 2007:
Year – 1st – Overall – Pick – Team – Position – Birthplace
1983 – Brian Lawton – MNS – C – New Brunswick, N.J.
1988 – Mike Modano – MNS – C – Livonia, Mich.
1995 – Bryan Berard – OTT – D – Woonsocket, R.I.
2000 – Rick DiPietro – NYI – G – Winthrop, Mass.
2006 – Erik Johnson – STL – D – Bloomington, Minn.
2007 – Patrick Kane – CHI – RW – Buffalo, N.Y.
2016 – Auston Matthews – TOR – C – San Ramon, Calif.
RECORD-SETTING OPENING ROUND FOR U.S.-BORN PLAYERS
Twelve U.S.-born players were selected in the first round of the draft, an NHL record. Five of those players grew up in the St. Louis area: Matthew Tkachuk (No. 6 overall, CGY), Clayton Keller (No. 7 overall, ARI), Logan Brown (No. 11 overall, OTT), Luke Kunin (No. 15 overall, MIN) and Trent Frederic (No. 29 overall, BOS).
THREE FINNS GO IN TOP FIVE OF DRAFT
Three Finnish players – Patrik Laine (No. 2 overall, WPG), Jesse Puljujarvi (No. 4 overall, EDM) and Olli Juolevi (No. 5 overall, VAN) – were selected with the opening five picks of the draft, a first in NHL history.
* Information provided via NHL Press Release
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