DETROIT (AP) — As expected, high-scoring centers Pierre Turgeon and Brendan Shanahan were the top two picks in Saturday's NHL draft.
The selection of Turgeon, by the Buffalo Sabres, and Shanahan, who went to the New Jersey Devils, came as no surprise. They had been rated the top two players available in the draft by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau.
But starting with Glen Wesley, a hard-nosed 18-year-old from the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League who was picked No. 3 by the Boston Bruins, 11 of the remaining 19 selections in the first round were defensemen.
The first round also included five centers, two right wings, two left wings and one goaltender as the 25th NHL draft saw a turnabout from last year, when the early emphasis was on offense. In last season's draft, 18 forwards were picked up in the first round.
“(The defensemen) were the best players available (this year),'' said General Manager Lou Nanne of the Minnesota North Stars. “Some years, they're centers, some years they're wings. This year, there were just a lot of outstanding defensemen as prospects.”
Just as significantly, this year's draft — which was held for the first time in the United States — saw no players from the U.S. taken in the first round, which featured a floodtide of players from the Canadian major junior ranks.
It was the first time since the 1978 draft that the first round selections were all Canadians.
In last year's draft at Montreal, a record total of seven Americans were taken in the first round, and 67 overall. But this year, the first player selected from the United States was in the second round when John LeClair of St. Albans, Vt., went to the Montreal Canadiens. He was the 33rd pick overall.
Nor were Europeans well represented in the early going Saturday, as they were last year. Only one European was taken in the first two rounds, when defenseman Rickard Persson from Sweden was taken by New Jersey on the second round, 23rd overall.
Max McNab, general manager of the Devils, said he felt that Persson was as good a defenseman as any of the 11 taken in the first round.
“I don't think there was a whole lot of question that he was the best player available,” said Buffalo Coach Ted Sator of Turgeon, brother of Hartford Whalers sharpshooter Sylvain Turgeon, the No. 2 pick overall in 1984. “He's an extremely strong young man, an exceptional athlete.”
Turgeon, a 6-foot-l, 200-pounder from the Granby Bisons of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, was the most impressive offensive player among those available.
The native of Rouyn, Que., who will be 18 in August, compiled 69 goals and 85 assists for 154 points in 58 games for the Bisons.
Turgeon was thrilled by his drafting position.
“I wanted to be number one,” he said. “Who wouldn't want to be No. 1?”
Shanahan, meanwhile, said didn't care who picked him — as long as it wasn't by Buffalo and Boston. The center, who scored 39 goals in 56 games with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, said he was sold on New Jersey after paying the Devils a recent visit.
“They (the Devils) are a sleeping giant,” Shanahan said. “Pretty soon the rookies will be veterans — and then, watch out!”
Shanahan was dressed primarily in green, reflecting one of the Devils' main colors.
“I came today with green pants and green shoes,” he said. “It goes well with the (New Jersey) uniform. It doesn't go well with blue and gold (Buffalo's colors).
Wayne McBean, a defenseman from Medicine Hat of the WHL who was picked right behind Wesley by Los Angeles, said he was flattered to go so early, and happier to go the Kings.
“When they picked me, I was happy,” the 6-foot-2,185-pounder said. “I went to Los Angeles this year and I really liked the town.”
Jimmy Waite, picked No. 8 by the Chicago Blackhawks, was the first goaltender to be selected in the first round since Tom Barrasso went No. 5 to the Buffalo Sabres in 1983.