Friday, June 26, 2015
Record Night in Draft’s First Round
Three current NCAA players taken in top 10 for first time ever; seven NCAA players selected overall.
For the first time in NHL Draft history, three current NCAA players were selected among the top 10 picks in tonight’s first round. Boston University’s Jack Eichel (No. 2 to Buffalo), Boston College’s Noah Hanifin (No. 5 to Carolina) and Michigan’s Zach Werenski (No. 8 to Columbus) all went in the top 10, the first three of seven current or future NCAA players to be selected in the first round.
The seven first-round NCAA picks are the most since 2010. Also of note:
· Eichel became the highest selection by a current or future NCAA player since James van Riemsdyk went second overall to Philadelphia in 2007
· Eichel and Hanifin became the 17th and 18th NCAA players to be top-five picks in NHL Draft history
· This marks the second time three current or future NCAA players were taken in the top eight selections (also 2006, when Erik Johnson, Jonathan Toews, Phil Kessel and Kyle Okposo went in the top seven)
NCAA First-Round NHL Draft Picks
| Rd. | No. | Team | Player | 2014-15 Team | NCAA Team |
| 1 | 2 | BUF | Jack Eichel | Boston University | |
| 1 | 5 | CAR | Noah Hanifin | Boston College | |
| 1 | 8 | CBJ | Zach Werenski | Michigan | |
| 1 | 17 | WPG | Kyle Connor | Youngstown (USHL) | Michigan |
| 1 | 21 | OTT | Colin White | U.S. NTDP | Boston College |
| 1 | 23 | VAN | Brock Boeser | Waterloo (USHL) | North Dakota |
| 1 | 25 | WPG | Jack Roslovic | U.S. NTDP | Miami |