On Friday night, thousands of Canadiens fans cheered with joy as the first-round pick was announced. Ivan Demidov made by Celine Dion on the podium of the NHL draft at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
A memorable evening as the Canadian gets his hands on an offensive talent who has the potential to become a true superstar in Montreal.
In addition to this choice, the troop of Kent Hughes selected Michael Hage 21st. Hage has huge offensive potential and is being touted as a future big second-line center.
Saturday, the repechage continued with rounds 2 to 7 and the Canadian made 8 selections. 5 attackers, 2 defenders and 1 goalkeeper.
Here is a summary of the day:
3e ronde, choix 70 : Aatos Koivu – ailier
Saku’s son! He’s a prototypical center in the sense that he plays very well in both directions of the rink and is always well positioned. He also has an excellent shot.
3rd round, pick 78: Logan Sawyer – center
Not the fastest but has a smooth skate and protects the puck well. He has a good motor which makes him a player who recovers a lot of pucks and he works hard every shift.
4th round, pick 102: Owen Protz – defenseman
A big defender with a defensive nature. He’s already 215 pounds at 18 years old.
5th round, pick 130: Tyler Thorpe – winger
6’5 and 216 pounds! a true colossus. An agile player for his size and has good presence in front of the net. A long-term project that could pay off.
5e ronde, choix 134 : Mikus Veczvanags – gardien
The only goalie chosen by the CH this year. Not much is known about him other than he is from Latvia and is 6’3. He did well at the last U18 tournament.
6th round, pick 166: Ben Merrill – center
Another attacking colossus at 6’4 195 pounds. he produced well offensively wherever he went. next year he will play in the BCHL.
7e ronde, choix 210 : Makar Khanin – ailier
A 6’0 winger who played for Dynamo St. Petersburg last season, in both the MHL and VHL. He had 9 points in 7 games in the MHL (same league as Demidov)
7th round, pick 224: Rasmus Bergqvist – defenseman
A 6’2 defender known for his defensive play.
