The 2019 NHL Draft kicked off with the first round Friday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The first 31 picks were be announced as part of the opening night before Rounds 2-7 are held Saturday.
The Devils did as expected with the No. 1 overall pick by taking American center Jack Hughes, who’s widely considered one of the top talents to enter the draft in recent memory. Legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur announced the pick to cheers as Hughes hugged friends and family before taking the stage.
The Rangers, holders of the No. 2 pick, also provided no surprises by going for Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko.
The real fireworks began with the Blackhawks’ No. 3 pick, which ended up being center Kirby Dach out of the WHL. Reports had pointed toward Alex Turcotte, Bowen Byram and Trevor Zegras as top candidates, but it’s no surprise that GM Stan Bowman had his typical draft-day splash in store.
Byram, the top defenseman prospect in the class, went to the Avalanche and Turcotte, a star center committed to the University of Wisconsin, went to the Kings to round out the top five.
Here are the complete results for the first 31 selections of this year’s draft.
2019 NHL Draft results, Round 1
1. Devils – Jack Hughes, USNTDP
2. Rangers – Kaapo Kakko, TPS (Finland)
3. BLACKHAWKS – Kirby Dach, Saskatoon (WHL)
4. Avalanche (via Senators) – Bowen Byram, Vancouver (WHL)
5. Kings – Alex Turcotte, USNTDP
6. Red Wings – Moritz Seider, Adler Mannheim (Germany)
7. Sabres – Dylan Cozens, Lethbridge (WHL)
8. Oilers – Philip Broberg, AIK (Sweden)
9. Ducks – Trevor Zegras, USNTDP
10. Canucks – Vasili Podkolzin, SKA (Russia)
11. Coyotes (via Flyers) – Victor Söderström, Brynäs IF (Sweden)
12. Wild – Matthew Boldy, USNTDP
13. Panthers – Spencer Knight, USNTDP
14. Flyers (via Coyotes) – Cam York, USNTDP
15. Canadiens – Cole Caufield, USNTDP
16. Avalanche – Alex Newhook, Victoria (BCHL)
17. Golden Knights – Peyton Krebs, Kootenay (WHL)
18. Stars – Thomas Harley, Mississauga (OHL)
19. Senators (via Blue Jackets) – Lassi Thomson, Kelowna (WHL)
20. Jets (via Rangers) – Ville Heinola, Lukko (Finland)
21. Penguins – Samuel Poulin, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
22. Kings (via Maple Leafs) – Tobias Bjornfot, Djurgårdens IF (Sweden)
23. Islanders – Simon Holmstrom, HV71 (Sweden)
24. Predators – Philip Tomasino, Niagara (OHL)
25. Capitals – Connor McMichael, London (OHL)
26. Flames – Jakob Pelletier, Moncton (QMJHL)
27. Lightning – Nolan Foote, Kelowna (WHL)
28. Hurricanes – Ryan Suzuki, Barrie (OHL)
29. Ducks (via Sabres/Sharks) – Brayden Tracey, Moose Jaw (WHL)
30. Bruins – John Beecher, USNTDP
31. Sabres (via Blues) – Ryan Johnson, Sioux Falls (USHL)
