To the surprise of no one, the New York Rangers selected Alexis Lafrenière with the top pick in the NHL Entry Draft
Any suspense about who the New York Rangers would select with the first pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft was dispelled when Jeff Gorton made his announcement in the virtual draft. From the Rangers draft war room, Gorton said “With the first pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Rangers are proud to select from the Rimouski Oceanic, Alexis Lafrenière.”
From his living room in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, the young star donned a Rangers jersey and cap and embraced his parents and sister. Bob McKenzie quickly pointed out that Lafrenière’s favorite number is 11, retired by the Rangers in honor of Mark Messier. McKenzie also said that Lafrenière has another number in mind, but it is still a secret.
Lafrenière is considered the only player to be a sure thing to make his NHL debut next season. It was a fantastic choice and Ranger fans cannot wait for the next season to start.
On that topic, the first thing that Commissioner Gary Bettman said when he kicked off the Draft show was that the new season is now expected to start on January 1, a month later than the date that had been announced earlier. It means training camps will not begin until December.
The Rangers have one more pick, number 22 overall and that selection should be made much later in the evening. In the meantime, Ranger fans should rejoice that after years of frustration, the team has finally struck gold and have drafted a player who should become a true superstar.