THE CANADIAN PRESS
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Edmonton Oilers held on to their top pick while the Winnipeg Jets held on to their history Friday night.
Edmonton did the expected at the NHL draft by taking Red Deer Rebels centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with the first overall selection.
"I had a rough idea but I really didn’t know what was going to happen," Nugent-Hopkins said. "I’m just relieved."
The six-foot, 170-pounder led the Western Hockey League with 75 assists last season. He also had 31 goals and finished fourth in league scoring with 106 points.
The Colorado Avalanche picked Kitchener Rangers left-winger Gabriel Landeskog at No. 2 and the Florida Panthers snagged Saint John centre Jonathan Huberdeau with the third pick.
Huberdeau finished third in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 105 points and was named MVP after leading the Sea Dogs to the Memorial Cup.
"I couldn’t ask for anything more this season," Huberdeau said. "I did everything on the ice I had to do and we won everything, so it was great.
"Now it was up to a team to decide and I’m glad Florida took me."
The New Jersey Devils took Swedish defenceman Adam Larsson at No. 4, the New York Islanders selected Niagara IceDogs centre Ryan Strome at No. 5 and the Ottawa Senators picked Swedish centre Mika Zibanejad at No. 6.
"Obviously when a team brings you to Ottawa they’re interested," Zibanejad said. "I had a feeling, but there were some good players battling for that spot and to go that early is an amazing feeling.
"I’ll do everything I can to work hard and make the team."
When the time came for the Winnipeg selection at No. 7, True North chairman Mark Chipman formally announced that the team would be named the Jets. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff then selected Barrie Colts centre Mark Scheifele.
Drummondville Voltigeurs centre Sean Couturier went eighth overall to the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins used the ninth pick to select Niagara IceDogs defenceman Dougie Hamilton. The host Minnesota Wild took Swedish blue-liner Jonas Brodin at No. 10.
The Oilers used last year’s first overall pick to select forward Taylor Hall. This year, they picked the top-rated North American skater in the latest rankings from NHL Central Scouting.
Nugent-Hopkins, a native of Burnaby, B.C., was the first pick in the 2008 WHL bantam draft and was named the league’s top rookie for the 2009-2010 season.
Landeskog, meanwhile, is considered the most physically mature player in the draft. He had 66 points in 53 games during a season shortened by an ankle injury.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman gave a "special welcome back" to the Winnipeg fans as he made his introductory comments. That prompted cheers and "Go Jets Go!" chants from a cluster of Winnipeg fans in the upper reaches of the Xcel Energy Center.
The draft started with a video tribute to E.J. McGuire, who died in April of cancer at age 58. He had been director of NHL Central Scouting since 2005.
McGuire’s wife and two daughters joined Bettman on the stage during the tribute.
