Four Winterhawks picked in NHL Draft

The Portland Winterhawks had four players selected in the 2017 NHL Draft.

It started Friday with center Cody Glass was selected sixth overall by the Vegas Golden Knights, and defenseman Henri Jokiharju going 29th overall to the Chicago Blackhawks.

On Saturday, defenseman Brendan De Jong was selected in the sixth round, 166th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes, and Skyler McKenzie was selected 198th overall in round seven by the Winnipeg Jets.

De Jong was selected in his second season of eligibility for the NHL Draft. Last season he notched career highs in goals, assists, and points, with eight goals and 23 points while playing all 72 games last season.

“As well as having that size and ability to defend using his size and reach, we feel there is a little more un-tapped offensive dimension there in his game. He’s evolving,” said Tony MacDonald, the Hurricanes head amateur scout, about De Jong.

McKenzie was also in his second season of draft eligibility. He was the Winterhawks’ leading goal-scorer last season with 42 and 84 points.

Glass and Jokiharju are the 28th and 29th Winterhawks players to be selected in the first round of the NHL Draft in franchise history.

Glass is the highest selected Winterhawk since Seth Jones went fourth overall to the Nashville Predators in 2013.

The Winterhawks’ have a rich tradition of producing talent for the NHL Draft, with 137 players now having been selected in the NHL Draft in franchise history.

It is the first year the Winterhawks have had multiple first-round NHL picks since Sven Baertschi and Joe Morrow were selected in the first round of the 2011 NHL Draft.