OHL Ties Record with 11 Players Selected in First Round of 2011 NHL Entry Draft

St. Paul, MN – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that 21 CHL players were selected in the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft matching 1998 as the most successful first round of the NHL Entry Draft in CHL history. 

 

“The Canadian Hockey League is very proud to see another strong contingent of CHL players selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft,” said CHL President David Branch.  “On behalf of the CHL I would like to congratulate the players and their families on this very special day and wish all players the best of luck in their professional careers.  With 21 players selected the CHL continues to be the number one provider of talent to the National Hockey League.”

 

The 21 CHL players selected include 11 from the Ontario Hockey League matching the high set back in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.  This season marks the first time that 21 CHL players were selected in a first round that consisted of 30 picks, as there were only 27 selections made in 1998.  2011 also marks the first time since 1998 when one player from each of the three regional leagues had a player selected in the top three.

 

Among the 21 first round picks, seven of the top 10 players selected were from the CHL including first overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels who became the fifth straight CHL player to be chosen first overall and the first ever British Columbia born player to be taken at number one when he was selected by the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night. 

 

Following Nugent-Hopkins, the Colorado Avalanche selected Gabriel Landeskog of the Kitchener Rangers with the second overall pick.  Other OHL players to follow include Ryan Strome of the Niagara IceDogs to the New York Islanders at fifth overall, Mark Scheifele of the Barrie Colts went seventh to the Winnipeg Jets, the IceDogs Dougie Hamilton went ninth to the Boston Bruins, and the Rangers’ Ryan Murphy went 12th to the Carolina Hurricanes.  At 21 was Stefan Noesen of the Plymouth Whalers to the Ottawa Senators, Matt Puempel of the Peterborough Petes also went to the Senators at 24, Stuart Percy of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors was selected 25th by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vladislav Namestnikov of the London Knights went 27th to the Tampa Bay Lightning, with Nicklas Jensen of the Oshawa Generals going 29th to the Vancouver Canucks, and Rickard Rakell of the Whalers going to the Anaheim Ducks with the 30th pick. 

 

OHL Players Selected in the First Round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (click on player name below to watch interviews from Minnesota):

2.       Gabriel Landeskog (Kitchener Rangers) – Colorado Avalanche

5.       Ryan Strome (Niagara IceDogs) – New York Islanders

7.       Mark Scheifele (Barrie Colts) – Winnipeg Jets

9.       Dougie Hamilton (Niagara IceDogs) – Boston Bruins

12.   Ryan Murphy (Kitchener Rangers) – Carolina Hurricanes

21.   Stefan Noesen (Plymouth Whalers) – Ottawa Senators

24.   Matt Puempel (Peterborough Petes) – Ottawa Senators

25.   Stuart Percy (Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors) – Toronto Maple Leafs

27.   Vladislav Namestnikov (London Knights) – Tampa Bay Lightning

29.   Nicklas Jensen (Oshawa Generals) – Vancouver Canucks

30.   Rickard Rakell (Plymouth Whalers) – Anaheim Ducks

 

Landeskog was the first OHL player selected at number two and despite missing 15 games to injury during the 2010-11 season, the captain managed to lead the Rangers in scoring with 36 goals.  He was third on the team in points with 66 in just 53 games.  The native of Sweden was a member of their National Junior Team at the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championship.

 

 

“I remember having Peter Forsberg up on my wall when I was a little kid, and I also had the 2001 Stanley Cup winning team poster up in my room,” Landeskog said.  “That’s my goal to be in that picture one day and to be there with the Colorado Avalanche.  I’m very excited.  The Kitchener Rangers have been just outstanding and nothing but first class all they way and believed in me from day one.”

 

Strome exploded for 33 goals and 106 points this past season and established himself as one of the OHL’s top players.   He helped the IceDogs finish with the third best record in the OHL during the regular season and then scored six goals and 12 points in 14 playoff games to help them advance to the Rogers Eastern Conference Championship Series for the first time in Niagara franchise history. 

 

 

“Playing in Niagara has been great.  I’ve gotten consistently better each day,” Strome said.  “I can’t thank the team enough, Marty Williamson, Mike Van Ryn, Billy Burke, and the owners are second to none.  They’re the greatest people in the world.  They’re probably the proudest people now,” Strome added. “It’s such a welcoming organization and such a big family there.  Everyone’s been so great, and everyone’s wished me the best of luck, and they’re the best.”

 

Scheifele became the first pick by the relocated Winnipeg Jets organization going seventh overall.  He emerged as an elite OHL scorer with the Colts this season, racking up 22 goals and 75 points. He is a power forward that also skates well and shot up scouting lists as the season progressed.  He uses his big frame to cause havoc in the difficult areas of the ice.

 

 

“The opportunity to compete against the best players was an intriguing factor that Dale Hawerchuk brought up to me in our meeting when I talked to him last year in August,” Scheifele said.  “He said, you won’t be able to play against players like Hishon, Gudbranson and all these great players that have gone through here.  To see all the guys that have played in the OHL like Jeff Skinner, Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, to see what great players have been produced out of the OHL helped make up my mind and kind of intrigued me going into the OHL.  To know it’s such a great program there throughout all teams.”

 

Hamilton won the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year before also claiming CHL Scholastic Player of the Year honours.  The six-foot-five blueliner plays a solid game at both ends of the ice and scored 12 goals and 58 points with the IceDogs this season.

 

 

“I definitely think the OHL is one of the best leagues in the world,” said Hamilton. “They say the CHL is the best development league in the world, they’re doing something right with the coaches and development.  It’s great to see all our players chosen tonight. I’m excited for all of them.”

 

Murphy finished second in scoring among OHL defencemen with 79 points in 63 games with the Rangers and joins former Ranger Jeff Skinner on the Hurricanes.

 

 

“Kitchener taught me a lot about both sides of the ice,” Murphy said.  “It worked out well for Jeff Skinner so hopefully it works out well for me too.”

 

Noesen had a tremendous sophomore season improving on his rookie totals by 30 goals and 69 assists finishing the year tied for first in Whalers scoring with 77 points in 68 games. 

 

 

“In my first year I had a lot of ups and downs and then I knew what I had to do to get better this year,” said Noesen.  “Mike Vellucci is one of the best coaches I have ever had and the way he develops players is second to none.”

 

Former OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year Matt Puempel still led the Petes in his sophomore season despite playing just 55 games due to a hip injury scoring 34 goals and 35 assists for 69 points. 

 

 

“I’m feeling great right now, there is no more injury right now I am back to normal,” said Puempel.  “I am really excited to be from Peterborough and now drafted to Ottawa.”

 

Percy stayed local when he was selected by the Majors in the first round of the 2009 OHL Priority Selection and stays local again with the Maple Leafs after recording 34 points in 64 regular season games before being names to the tournament All-Star team at the MasterCard Memorial Cup.

 

 

“This is exactly why I chose the OHL,” said Percy.  “It’s a dream and I am going to work my hardest to make the team.”

 

Namestnikov finished his rookie campaign second in team scoring for the London Knights with 30 goals and 39 assists for 69 points in 68 games after being selected 20th overall in the CHL Import Draft. 

 

 

“It’s a great organization, great coaches, I am really happy I played for London this year,” said Namestnikov.  “I am really happy that it worked out this way.”

 

Selected eighth overall in the 2010 CHL Import Draft, Jensen, a Denmark native finished his rookie season with 29 goals and 29 assists for 58 points in 61 games with the Generals. 

 

 

“We had a great team, a young team and it really helped me develop as a player,” Jensen said.  “Just the staff behind the team could really help me a lot and it was really a fun year.”

 

After being selected with the 41st pick of the 2010 CHL Import Draft, Rakell produced 20 goals and 25 assists for 45 points in 49 games in his rookie season with the Whalers. 

 

 

“Coming over here was a really good choice for me,” Rakell said.  “I knew it was the best junior league to play in and I think that was a very good road for me.”

 

The 2010 NHL Entry Draft featured eight CHL players selected in the top 10 including the first seven straight picks, while seven CHL players were selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft top 10 including the first five picks.  Last season a total of 17 CHL players were selected in the first round. 

 

The 2011 NHL Entry Draft continues Saturday June 25 with rounds two through seven at the Xcel Energy Centre.