Six Terriers Taken In Record Setting NHL Draft

Charlie McAvoy was taken
14th overall by the Bruins.
(Photo by Matt Dresens)

It was a record setting NHL draft in more than one way in Buffalo this weekend. BU matched the 2007 Minnesota Gophers as the only other team to have four players picked in the first round. The Terriers were the first school ever in draft history to have four players taken in the first 19 picks.

Three CHL teams have also had four picks in the first round, but that was in the '60s and '70s.

It was also a record night for USA Hockey. Twelve Americans were selected in the first round, an all-time high.

Clayton Keller was the first Terrier off the board at 7 overall to Arizona. Keller will be on campus this fall as the most touted freshman since Jack Eichel.

The Bruins made a move to bolster their blue line for the future when they picked up Charlie McAvoy with the 14th overall pick. For what the Bruins need, it was a strong pick. Thankfully, for BU, McAvoy will be back on Comm Ave for at least one more year before he heads down the street to Causeway Street. It also sets up a possible reunion with Matt Grzelcyk, who was his D-partner for the majority of last year. The two will certainly look good in black and gold in the coming years.

Three picks later at 17, Nashville scooped up Dante Fabbro. Fabbro is a highly projected defenseman out of Penticton of the BCHL.

The Islanders rounded out the BU selections at 19 when they selected Edina, Minnesota native Kiefer Bellows. Bellows is the son of Brian Bellows, who racked up over 1,000 points in the NHL.

On day two of the draft, Chicago picked up another Terrier recruit for this fall in Chad Krys. Krys was originally projected as a first round pick in the early draft boards, but faded in the second half of the year. The defenseman will still be looked upon to make an immediate impact at BU this fall.

Patrick Harper was the final Terrier selected in the draft. He went 138th overall to Nashville in the 5th round.

Freshman Pick Numbers
Lost in all of the draft news from the weekend was the announcement of roster numbers for the incoming freshman class. They are as follows:

5. Chad Krys (D)
9. Kieffer Bellows (F)
10. Gabriel Chabot (F)
11. Patrick Curry (F)
17. Dante Fabbro (D)
19. Clayton Keller (F)
21. Patrick Harper (F)
28. Johny McDermott (D)
29. Jake Oettinger (G)