NHL draft: Nathan MacKinnon selected by Colorado Avalanche as first pick
Canadian teenager Nathan MacKinnon was the first pick of the NHL draft after he was selected by the Colorado Avalanche.
Last Updated: 01/07/13 8:36am
The Avalanche plumped for the 17-year-old, who is considered a natural scorer and a superb puck distributor, after winning the draft lottery for the first time in their history.
MacKinnon is the first player drafted No 1 overall out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League since 2005 when the Pittsburgh Penguins selected Sidney Crosby, who is from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia - Mackinnon's hometown.
"I love Sid. He's my favourite player," MacKinnon said.
"I guess he's still my favourite player. I don't really know what to say now since I'm going to be in the same league as him. I don't know if I should dislike him or not."
Pedigree
The Florida Panthers made center Aleksander Barkov, the top-ranked European skater, the second overall pick.
Barkov, born in Finland to Russian parents, has a strong hockey pedigree as his father, Alexander Barkov, played professionally in Russia, Italy and Finland.
The Tampa Bay Lightning took Canadian forward Jonathan Drouin with the third overall pick, while the Nashville Predators opted for defenseman Seth Jones with the fourth pick.
The Carolina Hurricanes selected Swede Elias Lindholm fifth and the Calgary Flames followed that up with Canadian center Sean Monahan as the sixth pick.
The Edmonton Oiliers, who have picked first for the last three years, went for Canadian defenseman Darnell Nurse with the seventh choice.
The Stanley Cup-champion Chicago Blackhawks ended the first round by picking forward Ryan Hartman with the 30th pick.
The Blackhawks also later traded Dave Bolland, the star of decisive Game 6 against the Chicago Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals, to the Toronto Maple Leafs for three draft picks.
