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MONTREAL - The New York Islanders kept everyone guessing, including John Tavares himself, right up until they made the high-scoring center the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NHL entry draft.
The Islanders chose Tavares, an 18-year-old junior star with the London Knights, with the first overall pick ahead of 6-foot-6, 220-pound Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman, the top-ranked European prospect.
The Tampa Bay Lightning took Hedman and the Colorado Avalanche followed with forward Matt Duchene, the first three selections going as expected.
The Philadelphia Flyers made the biggest trade of the night by acquiring All-Star defenseman Chris Pronger from Anaheim in a multi-player trade. The Ducks reacquired right wing Joffrey Lupul and received defenseman Luca Sbisa and two first-round draft picks.
Tavares, a 6-foot, 185-pound native of Oakville, Ont., led the Ontario Hockey League with 58 goals this season and broke Peter Lee’s 33-year-old league record of 213 career goals.
“He’s an offensively-gifted hockey player,” Islanders general manager Garth Snow said. “Whether it’s shooting the puck or distributing it, he sees the puck at a different level than any other young player that I’ve seen in this draft.”
Snow kept the team’s draft intentions a closely guarded secret right until he announced Tavares’ name to the Bell Centre crowd. He was the team’s fourth No. 1 pick overall, and the first since they made Rick DiPietro the first goalie selected first overall in 2000.
“Yeah, I had no idea, just like everybody else,” Tavares said. “I didn’t know what their decision would be but it was obviously a great moment for me, a special feeling.”
Tavares’ selection was immediately celebrated by Islanders fans, who were shown on the Bell Centre video scoreboard gathered for a team draft party at Nassau County Coliseum, the team’s arena in Uniondale, N.Y.
“I didn’t see it but I heard things and obviously they are really interested in having me, and I definitely have the support of the fans and the community — that’s huge,” Tavares said. “I’m very thankful to be going there and I appreciate the opportunity to be part of Long Island. It’s going to be great and I can’t wait to get things going knowing where it’s headed. It’s going to be a great future for all of us.”
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The expansion Islanders chose Billy Harris No. 1 overall in 1972 and followed that one year later by selecting Denis Potvin, a Hall of Fame defenseman who captained the team to four straight Stanley Cups from 1979-80 to 1982-83.
“We were focused as a group on getting the best available player, a player that’s going to fit in well with the other building blocks that we have in the locker room,” Snow said. “I’m happy that our fans are happy because that was a player that we had identified early on.”
Snow also made a pair of deals with Columbus and Minnesota, packaging draft picks to trade up from a second first-round pick at 26th to the 12th choice overall, where he selected Oshawa Generals defenseman Calvin de Haan.
Hedman joins a Lightning squad that drafted center Steven Stamkos first overall last season.
“My goal is to play with the Tampa Bay Lightning next season,” Hedman said. “I’m going to work hard this summer to make the team next year.”
After Duchene was picked third by Colorado, his favorite team growing up, Atlanta selected center Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants, followed by Los Angeles, which chose Brandon Wheat Kings center Brayden Schenn, the younger brother of Toronto defenseman Luke Schenn, who went fifth overall to the Leafs last year in Ottawa.
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
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Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
The Red Wings have finally started to embrace a record they've been chasing.
On their last trip to Atlanta, the Miami Heat were missing two-thirds of their Big Three.
