RED DEER – Three Alberta Elite Hockey League alumni heard their names called and had their dreams realized during the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft on Friday evening.
The first round of the draft, which was done virtually for the second straight year, saw three athletes from Alberta drafted, including Dylan Guenther, who was the first Albertan selected when the Arizona Coyotes selected him ninth overall.
Guenther’s Edmonton Oil Kings teammate Sebastian Cossa was the next Albertan to go, and was the first goaltender off the board as the Detroit Red Wings traded up to select him 15th overall.
Brooks Bandits defenceman Corson Ceulemans was the third and final Albertan selected in the first round, going to the Columbus Blue Jackets with the 25th pick.
All three players also previously suited up for Team Alberta (Cossa at the 2017 WHL Cup, Ceulemans and Guenther at the 2019 Canada Winter Games).
Rounds two through seven of the 2021 NHL Draft will conclude on Saturday.
| Pick | Player | Team | Position | Hometown | MHA | Former Team(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FIRST ROUND |
||||||
| 9 | Dylan Guenther | Arizona Coyotes | Forward | Edmonton | Edmonton | KC U15 AAA Squires (AEHL), NAX U15 Prep, NAX U18 Prep (CSSHL), Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) |
| 15 | Sebastian Cossa | Detroit Red Wings | Goaltender | Fort McMurray | Fort McMurray | Fort McMurray U15 AA Oil Barons (NAHL), Fort Sask U15 AAA Rangers, Fort Sask U18 AAA Rangers (AEHL), Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) |
| 25 | Corson Ceulemans | Columbus Blue Jackets | Defenceman | Beaumont | Beaumont | Leduc U15 AAA Oil Kings (AEHL), OHA Edmonton U15 Prep, OHA Edmonton Prep (CSSHL), Brooks Bandits (AJHL) |