Wow. What a day we had! Day one of the 2021 NHL Draft began with many, many, trades. 12 players and 11 picks – including three first round picks for this draft – were traded before the draft began. Let’s look at the pre-draft trades first:
New York Rangers trade Pavel Buchnevich to the St. Louis Blues for Sammy Blais & a 2022 2d round pick.
Buffalo Sabres trade Rasmus Ristolainen to the Philadelphia Flyers for Robert Hagg, a 2021 1st round pick (13th overall), & a 2023 2nd round pick.
Arizona Coyotes trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson & Conor Garland to the Vancouver Canucks for Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, a 2021 1st round pick (9th overall), a 2022 2nd round pick, and a 7th round pick.
Columbus Blue Jackets trade Seth Jones, 1st round pick (32nd overall), & a 2022 6th round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for Adam Boquist, 1st round pick (12th overall), 2nd round pick (44th overall), and a 2022 1st round pick.
Columbus Blue Jackets trade a 2nd round pick (44th overall) to the Carolina Hurricanes for Jake Bean.
Also, not a trade but the New York Rangers will be buying out noted racist and hated teammate Tony DeAngelo.
Now, the picks:
1st – Buffalo Sabres – Owen Power (D) – University of Michigan, NCAA From: Mississauga, ON 2020-21 NCAA stats: 26GP – 3G – 13A – 16Pts 2021 Team Canada stats: 10GP – 0G – 3A – 3Pts Awards: BIG10 All Rookie team, 2021 World Championship Gold Medal
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2nd – Seattle Kraken – Matthew Beniers (C) – University of Michigan, NCAA From: Hingham, MA 2020-21 NCAA Stats: 24GP – 10G – 14A – 24Pts 2021 Team USA Stats: 13GP – 2G – 3A – 5Pts Awards: BIG10 All Rookie Team, 2021 World Jr. Championship Gold, 2021 World Championship Bronze
4th – New Jersey Devils – Luke Hughes (D) – USA NTDP From: Canton, MI 2020-21 Team USA Stats: 56GP – 10G – 39A – 49Pts
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5th – Columbus Blue Jackets – Kent Johnson (C) – University of Michigan, NCAA From: North Vancouver, BC 2020-21 NCAA Stats: 26GP – 9G – 18A – 27Pts 2021 Awards: BIG10 All Rookie Team
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6th – Detroit Red Wings – Simon Edvinsson (D) – Frölunda HC, SHL / Västerås IK, HockeyAllsvenskan From: Onsala, SWE 2020-21 League Stats: 28GP – 1G – 11A – 12Pts 2020-21 Team Sweden Stats: 15GP – 2G – 7A – 9Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Bronze Medal
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7th – San Jose Sharks – William Eklund (LW) – Djurgårdens IF, SHL From: Haninge, SWE 2020-21 SHL Stats: 40GP – 11G – 12A – 23Pts 2020-21 Team Sweden Stats: 4GP – 1G – 1A – 2Pts 2021 Awards: SHL Rookie of the Year
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8th – Los Angeles Kings – Brandt Clarke (D) – HC Nove Zamky, Slovakia From: Ottawa, ON 2020-21 League stats: 26GP – 5G – 10A – 15Pts 2020-21 Team Canada Stats: 7GP – 2G – 5A – 7Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Gold Medal
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9th – Arizona Coyotes – Dylan Guenther (W) – Edmonton Oil Kings, WHL / Sherwood Park Crusaders, AJHL From: Edmonton, AB 2020-21 League stats: 16GP – 15G – 15A – 30Pts 2020-21 Team Canada stats: 7GP – 4G – 3A – 7Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Gold Medal
13th – Calgary Flames – Matthew Coronato (RW) – Chicago Steel, USHL From: New York, NY 2020-21 USHL Stats: 51GP – 48G – 37A – 85Pts 2021 Awards: 2021 Clark Cup, USHL Forward of the Year, USHL Most Goals
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14th – Buffalo Sabres – Isak Rosén (W) – Leksands IF, SHL From: Stockholm, SWE 2020-21 League Stats: 35GP – 9G – 8A – 17Pts 2020-21 Team Sweden Stats: 8GP – 7G – 2A – 9Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Bronze Medal
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We have a trade to announce….
The Detroit Red Wings trade picks 23, 48, and 138 to the Dallas Stars for pick 15
15th – Detroit Red Wings – Sebastian Cossa (G) – Edmonton Oil Kings, WHL From: Hamilton, ON 2020-21 WHL Stats: 19GP – 1.57GAA – .941sv% – 4SO
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16th – New York Rangers – Brennan Othman (LW) – EHC Olten, Swiss Div 2 From: Scarborough, ON 2020-21 SD2 Stats: 34GP – 7G – 9A – 16Pts 2020-21 Team Canada Stats: 7GP – 3G – 3A – 6Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Gold Medal
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17th – St. Louis Blues – Zachary Bolduc (C) – Rimouski Océanic , QMJHL From: Trois-Rivières, QC 2020-21 QMJHL Stats: 27GP – 10G – 19A – 29Pts 2021 Awards: Mike Bossy Trophy – Best Professional Prospect
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18th – Winnipeg Jets* – Chaz Lucius (C) – USNTDP From: Grant, MN 2020-21 Team USA Stats: 25GP – 26G – 12A – 38Pts
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19th – Nashville Predators – Fedor Svechkov (F) – Ladia Togliatti, Russia From: Togliatti, RUS 2020-21 League Stats: 53GP – 9G – 21A – 30Pts 2020-21 Team Russia Stats: 7GP – 4G – 6A – 10Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Silver Medal
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We have a trade to announce…..
The Edmonton Oilers trade pick 20 to the Minnesota Wild for picks 22 and 90
20th – Minnesota Wild – Jesper Wallstedt (G) – Luleå HF , SHL From: Västerås, SWE 2020-21 SHL Stats: 22 GP – 2.23GAA – .908sv% – 2SO 2020-21 Team Sweden stats: 2GP – 2.40GAA – .923sv%
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21st – Boston Bruins – Fabian Lysell (RW) – Luleå HF, SHL From: Göteborg, SWE 2020-21 SHL Stats: 26GP – 2G – 1A – 3Pts 2020-21 Team Sweden stats: 8GP – 3G – 6A – 9Pts 2021 Awards: U18 WJC Bronze Medal
EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers signed defenceman Travis Dermott to a professional tryout on Friday.
Dermott, a 27-year-old from Newmarket, Ont., produced two goals, five assists and 26 penalty minutes in 50 games with the Arizona Coyotes last season.
The six-foot, 202-pound blueliner has also played for the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto drafted him in the second round, 34th overall, of the 2015 NHL draft.
Over seven NHL seasons, Dermott has 16 goals and 46 assists in 329 games while averaging 16:03 in ice time.
Before the NHL, Dermott played two seasons with Oilers captain Connor McDavid for the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters. The team was coached by current Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion, led the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s fan vote her first year on the ballot — an important part to possible selection to the hall’s next class.
The organization released the voting results on Friday. American doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan finished second with Canada’s Daniel Nestor third.
The Hall of Fame said tens of thousands of fans from 120 countries cast ballots. Fan voting is one of two steps in the hall’s selection process. The second is an official group of journalists, historians, and Hall of Famers from the sport who vote on the ballot for the hall’s class of 2025.
“I am incredibly grateful to the fans all around the world who supported me during the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s fan votes,” Sharapova said in a statement. “It is a tremendous honor to be considered for the Hall of Fame, and having the fans’ support makes it all the more special.”
Sharapova became the first Russian woman to reach No. 1 in the world. She won Wimbledon in 2004, the U.S. Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008. She also won the French Open twice, in 2012 and 2014.
Sharapova was also part of Russia’s championship Fed Cup team in 2008 and won a silver medal at the London Olympics in 2012.
To make the hall, candidates must receive 75% or higher on combined results of the official voting group and additional percentage from the fan vote. Sharapova will have an additional three percentage points from winning the fan vote.
The Bryans, who won 16 Grand Slam doubles titles, will have two additional percentage points and Nestor, who won eight Grand Slam doubles titles, will get one extra percentage point.
The hall’s next class will be announced late next month.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew as they bicycled on a rural road had a blood-alcohol level of .087, above the .08 legal limit in New Jersey, a prosecutor said Friday.
Gaudreau, 31, and brother Matthew, 29, were killed in Carneys Point, New Jersey, on Aug. 29, the evening before they were set to serve as groomsmen at their sister Katie’s wedding.
The driver, 43-year-old Sean M. Higgins of nearby Woodstown, New Jersey, is charged with two counts of death by auto, along with reckless driving, possession of an open container and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle. At a virtual court hearing Friday, a judge ordered that he be held for trial after prosecutors described a history of alleged road rage and aggressive driving.
“’You were probably driving like a nut like I always tell you you do. And you don’t listen to me, instead you just yell at me,’” his wife told Higgins when he called her from jail after his arrest, according to First Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan Flynn of Salem County.
The defense described Higgins as a married father and law-abiding citizen before the crash.
“He’s an empathetic individual and he’s a loving father of two daughters,” said defense lawyer Matthew Portella. “He’s a good person and he made a horrible decision that night.”
Higgins told police he had five or six beers that day and admitted to consuming alcohol while driving, according to the criminal complaint. He also failed a field sobriety test, the complaint said. A prosecutor on Friday said he had been drinking at home after finishing a work call at about 3 p.m., and having an upsetting conversation with his mother about a family matter.
He then had a two-hour phone call with a friend while he drove around in his Jeep with an open container, Flynn said. He had been driving aggressively behind a sedan going just above the 50 mph speed limit, sometimes tailgating, the female driver told police.
When she and the vehicle ahead of her slowed down and veered left to go around the cyclists, Higgins sped up and veered right, striking the Gaudreas, the two other drivers told police.
“He indicated he didn’t even see them,” said Superior Court Judge Michael J. Silvanio, who said Higgins’ admitted “impatience” caused two deaths.
Higgins faces up to 20 years, a sentence that the judge said made him a flight risk.
Higgins has a master’s degree, works in finance for an addiction treatment company, and served in combat in Iraq, his lawyers said. However, his wife said he had been drinking regularly since working from home, Flynn said.
Johnny Gaudreau, known as “Johnny Hockey,” played 10 full seasons in the league and was set to enter his third with the Columbus Blue Jackets after signing a seven-year, $68 million deal in 2022. He played his first eight seasons with the Calgary Flames, a tenure that included becoming one of the sport’s top players and a fan favorite across North America.
Widows Meredith and Madeline Gaudreau described their husbands as attached at the hip throughout their lives. Both women are expecting, and both gave moving eulogies at the double funeral on Monday.
