2019 NHL Draft – Carolina Hurricanes select Ryan Suzuki with 1st pick (28th overall)

Canes top selection to be reunited with former junior mate Svechnikov

Carolina Hurricanes

Peter Koutroumpis

editor@trianglesportsnet.com

RALEIGH, N.C. – There’s another Barrie Colt coming to the Triangle.

With their first pick (28th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Carolina Hurricanes selected center Ryan Suzuki at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia on Friday.

The 18-year-old Suzuki posted 75 points (25g, 50a) in 65 games with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) last season.

“I’m just super-excited to be a part of Carolina,” Suzuki said.

“I was definitely a little nervous getting close to the end of the first round, but Carolina believed  in me and they selected me. I’m super-honored, and just wanna get down there and be with the team.”

Carolina Hurricanes: NHL Draft Tracker (1997-Present)

Selected first overall by Barrie in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, he was teammates with current Hurricanes forward, and 2018 NHL second overall draft pick, Andrei Svechnikov in 2017-18.

Standing at six feet on a lean 170-pound frame, Suzuki tallied 119 points (39g, 80a) in 129 career OHL games over two seasons with Barrie while assuming an alternate captain role.

Notables: Suzuki, from London, Ontario, was selected for the 2019 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, and served as an alternate captain on Team Orr. Internationally, he represented Canada at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, recording eight points (1g, 7a) and winning gold, and also played in the 2019 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. His brother, Nick Suzuki, was selected 13th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Draft and is currently a prospect in the Montreal Canadiens organization.

Peter Koutroumpis: 401-323-8960, @pksport