Luneau Is First Overall Pick of 2020 Draft Class
Published on June 6, 2020 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) News Release
Granby, QC - The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League held the first round of its annual Entry Draft on Friday night. For the first time in QMJHL history, the selection process was held virtually as the event was broadcasted live on the league's YouTube channel .
It was also a night of firsts for the Gatineau Olympiques as the organization was granted the first overall pick for the first time in franchise history. The Outaouais-based squad did not hesitate to use the pick to select Trois-Rivières Estacades defenseman and 2020 top prospect, Tristan Luneau.
The Olympiques did not have to wait very long before getting their hands on the first forward of the draft, selecting Antonin Verreault of the St-Eustache Vikings with the second pick of the night.
The Saint John Sea Dogs rounded out the Top-3 by landing a player who was already playing in the Maritimes this past season in Halifax McDonald's forward Leighton Carruthers.
The initial selection order was altered a few times over the course of the night since the QMJHL Commissioner allowed teams to complete trades only if they involved first round picks.
The Moncton Wildcats first sent Jakob Pelletier to the Val-d'Or Foreurs in a trade that saw them get their hands on the 8th overall pick - a selection that they immediately dealt to the Olympiques. The Armada then traded with the Huskies to select in the 10th spot, just before seeing the Tigres send their 11th pick to the Voltigeurs.
You can consult every one of the selections made in the opening round of the 2020 QMJHL Draft presented by Fenplast or by checking out the graphic above.
For a rare occasion, we saw as many defensemen as forwards get selected in the draft's first round. In total, it's 9 forwards, 9 defensemen and 2 goaltenders who heard their names called by a QMJHL team on Friday night.
The Lévis Chevaliers organization from the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League is the only squad that saw three of its players selected in the opening round. Other teams such as the Trois-Rivières Estacades, the Laval-Montreal Rousseau-Royal and the Moncton Flyers followed closely with two representatives apiece.
The 2020 QMJHL Entry Draft presented by Fenplast will continue tomorrow morning, at 9am ET/10am AT, with rounds 2 through 14. You can follow the rest of the selection process live from the QMJHL website (www.theqmjhl.ca ) or on the league's social media accounts (Twitter / Facebook ).
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from June 6, 2020
- Eagles Make 17 Selections, Acquire Defenseman at 2020 QMJHL Draft - Cape Breton Eagles
- 14 Players Selected by Islanders in 2020 QMJHL Draft - Charlottetown Islanders
- Islanders Acquire All-Star Netminder Colten Ellis - Charlottetown Islanders
- Sea Dogs Add Size and Speed with Two First Round Selections - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Luneau Is First Overall Pick of 2020 Draft Class - QMJHL
- Mooseheads Select Two Forwards in First Round of QMJHL Entry Draft - Halifax Mooseheads
- Eagles Choose Goaltender Nicolas Ruccia in QMJHL Draft - Cape Breton Eagles
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