The future is now

After another successful NHL Draft, one thing remains clear – no country develops hockey players quite like Canada.

In total, more than one-third of the players who had their names called during the virtual draft – 89 of 223 – hail from north of the 49th parallel. (That includes players who were born outside the country but are products of the Canadian hockey system, like No. 3 pick Mason McTavish.)

It’s a sizeable increase over the 73 who were selected last October in the 2020 draft.

The list features representation from 10 Members, and 49 who have worn the Maple Leaf in international competition – 18 of them 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship gold medallists.

The red-and-white run started from the top, with 2021 IIHF World Championship gold medallist Owen Power going No. 1 to the Buffalo. The Mississauga, Ont., native is just the second Canadian defenceman to be taken with the first pick since 1996, joining Aaron Ekblad (2014).

McTavish followed quickly behind, going to the Anaheim Ducks with the third pick. He was the first of eight U18 worlds gold medallists to go in Round 1, along with Brandt Clarke (eighth overall to Los Angeles), Dylan Guenther (ninth to Arizona), Brennan Othmann (16th to the New York Rangers), Wyatt Johnston (23rd to Dallas), Corson Ceulemans (25th to Columbus), Chase Stillman (29th to New Jersey) and Nolan Allan (32nd to Chicago).

Canadians accounted for 18 of the 31 first-round picks (Arizona forfeited its first-rounder at No. 11), the second-most in a single year since the draft became a truly global event in 1990, just one shy of the mark set last year.

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) was well represented among the Canadian contingent; 77 of the 89 players selected – including 15 of the 18 first-round picks – were products of CHL programs, from 46 different teams. The Western Hockey League led the way with 32 picks, followed by the Ontario Hockey League with 23 and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 22.

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY MEMBER

Ontario Hockey Federation (26) – Francesco Arcuri, Jack Bar, Jack Beck, Joshua Bloom, Talyn Boyko, Ethan Cardwell, Ethan Del Mastro, Justin Ertel, Benjamin Gaudreau, Braden Haché, Brett Harrison, Jacob Holmes, Wyatt Johnston, Tristan Lennox, Logan Mailloux, Jack Matier, Ayrton Marino, Max McCue, Brennan Othmann, Francesco Pinelli, Owen Power, Ben Roger, Chandler Romeo, Chase Stillman, Joe Vrbetic, Ryan Winterton

Hockey Alberta (16) – Gage Alexander, Corson Ceulemans, Lucas Ciona, Sebastian Cossa, Colton Dach, Ryker Evans, Jayden Grubbe, Dylan Guenther, Taige Harding, Dru Krebs, Gannon Laroque, Taylor Makar, Kyle Masters, Zack Ostapchuk, Sean Tschigerl, Olen Zellweger

Hockey Quebec (15) – Isaac Belliveau, Zachary Bolduc, Xavier Bourgault, Tyson Hinds, Zachary L’Heureux, Manix Landry, Joaquim Lemay, James Malatesta, Olivier Nadeau, Robert Orr, Guillaume Richard, Justin Robidas, Joshua Roy, Xavier Simoneau, William Trudeau

B.C. Hockey (9) – Caedan Bankier, Jake Chiasson, Tyson Galloway, Vincent Iorio, Kent Johnson, Carson Latimer, Jalen Luypen, Ethan Samson, Logan Stankoven

Hockey Nova Scotia (6) – Ben Boyd, Riley Kidney, Cameron MacDonald, Jacob Melanson, Oscar Plandowski, Cameron Whynot

Saskatchewan Hockey Association (6) – Nolan Allan, Ryder Korczak, Ryan McCleary, Josh Pillar, Cole Sillinger, Max Wanner

Hockey Eastern Ontario (4) – Brandt Clarke, Connor Lockhart, Mason McTavish, Pasquale Zito

Hockey Manitoba (4) – Cole Jordan, Tyson Kozak, Carson Lambos, Conner Roulette

Hockey New Brunswick (2) – Cole Huckins, Evan Nause

Hockey Newfoundland & Labrador (1) – Zach Dean

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

2021 National Men’s Team Owen Power

2021 National Men’s Under-18 Team Nolan Allan, Corson Ceulemans, Brandt Clarke, Benjamin Gaudreau, Dylan Guenther, Brett Harrison, Wyatt Johnston, Jack Matier, Mason McTavish, Brennan Othmann, Francesco Pinelli, Guillaume Richard, Logan Stankoven, Chase Stillman, Ryan Winterton, Olen Zellweger

2019 World Junior A Challenge East: Ayrton Martino

West: Corson Ceulemans, Kent Johnson

2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Black: Corson Ceulemans, Brandt Clarke, Zach Dean, Ethan Del Mastro, Benjamin Gaudreau, Jayden Grubbe, Zachary L’Heureux, James Malatesta, Max McCue, Brennan Othmann, Sean Tschigerl, Cameron Whynot, Ryan Winterton

White: Jack Beck, Dylan Guenther, Brett Harrison, Tyson Hinds, Riley Kidney, Carson Lambos, Mason McTavish, Oscar Plandowski, Guillaume Richard, Justin Robidas, Cole Sillinger, Chase Stillman

Red: Nolan Allan, Joshua Bloom, Zachary Bolduc, Jacob Holmes, Wyatt Johnston, Connor Lockhart, Kyle Masters, Olivier Nadeau, Evan Nause, Francesco Pinelli, Conner Roulette, Joshua Roy, Logan Stankoven, Olen Zellweger

2019 National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team Tristan Lennox

2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Black: Joe Vrbetic

White: Xavier Bourgault, Sebastian Cossa, Tristan Lennox, Owen Power

2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Red: Xavier Simoneau