Connor McDavid Selected First Overall in 2015 NHL Draft

Friday June 26, 2015

Sunrise, FL – The Canadian Hockey League is proud to announce that top ranked forward Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters has been selected first overall in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.

McDavid becomes the ninth straight CHL player to be chosen first overall following the Florida Panthers’ selection of Aaron Ekblad of the Barrie Colts last season, the Colorado Avalanche’s selection of Nathan MacKinnon of the Halifax Mooseheads in 2013, the Edmonton Oilers’ picks of Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting in 2012, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels in 2011, and Taylor Hall of the Windsor Spitfires in 2010.  John Tavares of the London Knights was selected first overall by the New York Islanders in 2009, following the Sting’s Steven Stamkos chosen by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2008, and the Knights’ Patrick Kane picked first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007.

The 18-year-old Otters’ captain from Newmarket, ON, earned a trio of CHL Awards this season including Top Prospect, Scholastic Player of the Year for the second straight season, and Player of the Year honours.  A World Junior gold medalist with Team Canada, McDavid finished third in OHL scoring with 120 points in 47 games played recording 44 goals and 76 assists with a league-high plus-minus rating of plus-60. 

Also the first overall pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection, McDavid followed Ekblad and Tavares as just the third player ever to be granted exceptional player status by Hockey Canada.  He is the most decorated player in OHL history collecting six different major awards including the Jack Ferguson Award as the league’s first overall pick, and later earned the Emms Family Award as Rookie of the Year for the 2012-13 season.  Last season he received the William Hanley Trophy awarded to the league’s Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year, also earning the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year which he won again in 2014-15.  He capped off the 2014-15 regular season by earning the prestigious Red Tilson Trophy awarded to the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player of the Year, and was also named Most Valuable Player of the 2015 OHL Playoffs earning the Wayne Gretzky ‘99’ Award.

The 2015 NHL Draft continues with first round selections on Friday night, followed by rounds two through seven on Saturday.