SAINT JOHN, N.B. — The Saint John Sea Dogs own the top pick in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft.
The Sea Dogs recently won the draft lottery despite having only a five per cent chance of getting the first pick. The Sea Dogs own the Blainville-Boisbriand pick acquired from Drummondville in the haul for Joe Veleno. Drummondville acquired the pick from the Armada in the Alex Barre-Boulet deal in January 2017.
It will be the sixth time in franchise history the Sea Dogs have the top pick.
The draft will take place June 8 in Quebec City.
The rest of the top five has Val-d’Or picking second followed by Moncton, Gatineau and Shawinigan.
The Val-d’Or Foreurs had the second-best chance (28 per cent) of winning the lottery with a pick they acquired from Saint John in exchange for forward Julien Gauthier on the same day as the Barre-Boulet deal.
The Moncton Wildcats own the Acadie-Bathurst Titan’s first-round pick and had the best chance (43 per cent) of landing the top pick, but the lottery balls didn't fall their way.
Moncton acquired the pick for defencemen Adam Holwell and Zachary Malatesta in December 2016. Gatineau and Shawinigan round out the top five with their own picks.
The Charlottetown Islanders don’t own a first-round pick this year. They moved it in the January 2017 deal to acquire forward Alex Dostie.
The Islanders do own two second-round picks. Their own and Rimouski’s selection, which was acquired in the deal for defenceman Pierre-Olivier Joseph with Drummondville.
