Northern Westchester's Trevor Zegras, a two-way forward who starred on the US Under 17 national team, was taken with the ninth pick in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night, June 21 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
"I really wanted to go to whatever team wanted me the most," the 6-foot, 175-pound center from Bedford said. "I'm thrilled with Anaheim and I'm happy to be a Duck."
Zegras has signed a National Letter of Intent to play collegiate hockey at Boston University. He has 100 career assists in 116 games with the NTDP U-17 and U-18 teams and had six points (2g/4a) in six games to help Team USA earn gold at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He had 26 goals and 87 points in 60 games this past season in the junior-level US Hockey League.
According to Bill Placzek at draftsite.com, Zegras is a “creative center who plays an aggressive style at a high skill level with a nice shot release. (He) possesses top-end awareness and vision and has to be also regarded as one of the elite passers in the class. His anticipation in setting offensive looks is a thing of beauty.
More than 20 of Zegras' family members made the trip from New York in Vancouver for Friday’s first round.
Another center from the Northeast, Jack Hughes, was the draft's No. 1 pick, selected by the New Jersey Devils. With the No. 2 pick, the New York Rangers selected Finnish right wing Kaapo Kakko.
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