Jack Hughes Selected First Overall in 2019 NHL Draft

An economics alumnus of St. Lawrence University, Keefe Gorman is a Merrill Lynch managing director who supports a variety of nonprofit organizations, including Meals on Wheels, Shelter Box USA, and the American Cancer Society. Beyond his professional and philanthropic endeavors, Keefe Gorman enjoys watching hockey.

Hockey fans were offered a glimpse of the game's future stars on June 21 as the National Hockey League (NHL) held its annual draft in Vancouver, Canada. The New Jersey Devils, which jumped up two spots by winning the draft lottery, selected American forward Jack Hughes with the first overall pick, while the New York Rangers selected Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko with the second.

Although he was born in Orlando, Florida, Hughes grew up playing hockey in Toronto as his father Jim worked for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He later played 50 games with the US National Team Development Program and registered 112 points. He's the eighth US native to be selected first overall in the draft.

Kakko, meanwhile, recorded 38 points in 45 games with TPS Turku of SM-liiga, Finland's top professional league. He also scored the game-winning goal in Finland's 3-2 win over the US in the finals of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship and later won gold with Finland at the 2019 IIHF World Championship. Kirby Dach (Chicago), Bowen Byram (Colorado), and Alex Turcotte (Los Angeles) rounded out the top five selections.

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