Avalanche lands Wolski in first round

RALEIGH, N.C. – Battalion left winger Wojtek Wolski was chosen by the Colorado Avalanche with the 21st overall selection in the National Hockey League’s Entry Draft on Saturday.

It’s pretty exciting,” Wolski said of being selected in the first round. I’m very happy to be drafted by Colorado. I don’t think I could have ended up with a better organization. They have a lot of great players and they always seem to be one of the top teams in the league.”

Wolski admitted that he started to get nervous as the first round unfolded at the RBC Center, home of the Carolina Hurricanes.

I was getting nervous as the picks were being made, but I had to wait it out,” said Wolski, who met with the Avalanche during the NHL’s fitness combine at the end of May. I tried not to think too much about it.”

The 18-year-old Mississauga resident earned Ontario Hockey League First All-Star team honours last season after scoring 29 goals and adding 41 assists for 70 points in 66 games. Chosen by the Battalion with the third overall pick in the 2002 OHL Priority Selection, Wolski was named to the league’s 2002-03 All-Rookie team after recording 25 goals and 57 points in 64 games.

Wolski became the fourth Battalion player to be selected in the first round, joining Rostislav Klesla and Raffi Torres, taken fourth and fifth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders respectively in 2000, and Brent Burns, who was taken 20th overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2003.

Wolski was the fifth-rated North American-based skater in the final rankings of the NHL’s Central Scouting Service and the second OHL player taken, after Slovak defenceman Boris Valabik of the Kitchener Rangers. He was selected 10th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers.

Left winger Alexander Ovechkin of the Moscow Dynamo went first overall to the Washington Capitals.

The 30 NHL teams conducted three rounds Saturday, with the final six rounds slated for Sunday.