Jun 26, 2009 7:31 pm US/Mountain
Duchene Number 1, Avs Draft Six More
MONTREAL (AP/CBS4) ―
The Colorado Avalanche selected center Matt Duchene with the third overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft held Friday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Duchene is the highest draft pick for the Avalanche since the team moved to Colorado in 1995. The last time the Avalanche/Nordiques franchise selected in the top three of any draft was 1991, when they picked first overall, taking Eric Lindros. Only four previous times has the franchise picked in the top three: 1988 (3rd overall), 1989 (1st overall), 1990 (1st overall), and 1991.
"Matt is a very skilled, two-way player," said Avalanche Director of Amateur Scouting Rick Pracey. "We are very excited about adding him to our organization."
The eighteen-year-old Duchene just completed his second season with the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League. The Haliburton, Ontario native finished third on the Battalion in scoring with 79 points in 57 games. He ranked second on the club in assists, third in goals and plus/minus, and tied for the team lead in both power-play and shorthanded goals. Duchene added 26 points in 21 playoff games.
"It's unbelievable, a dream come true," said Duchene. The Colorado Avalanche was my favorite team growing up and to be drafted by them is just unbelievable."
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound center participated in the 2009 OHL All-Star Classic, and the CHL Top Prospects Game. He was voted "Best Playmaker" and "Best Stickhandler" in the OHL's Eastern Conference Coaches Poll.
NHL Central Scouting ranking Duchene No. 2 among North American skaters in its final rankings for the 2009 Entry Draft. According to Central Scouting, "Duchene has the ability to dominate games. He is an excellent all-around skater with great speed, his playmaking, ability to see the ice and move the puck through traffic to create offense are outstanding."
Duchene also has international experience with Team Canada, winning a gold medal as Canada's captain at the under-18 Ivan Hlinka tournament. He also won gold as a member of Team Canada at the 2008 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
A day after taking center Matt Duchene with the No. 3 overall pick in the NHL draft, the Colorado Avalanche added six other players Saturday.
"We are excited about the way things turned out," Avs director of amateur scouting Rick Pracey said. "We certainly got some players that we desired to and were attracted to throughout the year and are very happy with the way things turned out."
All told, Colorado chose two centers, three defenseman and two goaltenders during the two-day draft.
The Avalanche began Saturday by taking center Ryan O'Reilly at No. 33 and defenseman Stefan Elliott at No. 49 in the second round.
Defenseman Tyson Barrie, the son of Tampa Bay Lightning co-owner and President Len Barrie, was selected in the third round.
Goaltenders Kieran Millan and Brandon Maxwell came to Colorado in the fifth and six rounds respectively. Defenseman Gus Young was the Avalanche's seventh-round pick.
O'Reilly was considered a first-round choice by many scouts. The 18-year-old had 16 goals and 50 assists in 68 games this year for Erie of the OHL Western Conference.
"We held Ryan in a very high regard and he was a player we considered a first-round pick," Pracey said. "Ryan, we feel, is a high character player, drawing to his hockey sense with instincts and ability to process the game."
Elliott is a throwback to Sandis Ozolinsh, a defenseman for the Avalanche in the club's early years in Colorado. Elliott had 16 goals and 39 assists in 71 games with Saskatoon of the WHL this season.
"Stefan is an offensive defenseman," Pracey said. "When we talk about defensemen, we like the idea that players can process the game and move the puck and he fits that mold for us."
Tyson Barrie helped lead his team to a WHL Championship and the Memorial Cup tournament and had 18 points (4-14-18) in 22 playoff games.
The goaltenders bring plenty of upside to the Avalanche. Millan was part of the success of the Boston University program, which won an NCAA title this year.
"He is a winner," Pracey said. "He has a resume that includes a national championship and we are looking for a goaltender that can deliver and we are happy to have him."
Maxwell, of Winter Park, Fla., had a 3.29 goals-against average playing for Team USA.
"The key components of Brandon are his competitiveness, his skill level and we think he has technique and we believe in his overall talent," Pracey said.
Colorado is going to take some time before seeing him in an Avalanche uniform. He played at a prep school level in Boston.
"The kids we were able to bring in as assets and members are hopefully future Avalanche kids," Pracey said. "I think positive would sum it up and I think it was a great weekend for us."
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