Nugent-Hopkins top pick in entry draft

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was picked first in a center-heavy NHL draft by the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night.

The Oilers, going first overall for the second straight year, selected the slick passer from the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League. The 18-year-old center led the WHL last season with 75 assists.

Nugent-Hopkins is the first WHL player to be drafted first since 1996. Six of the first eight picks were centers.

Left winger Gabriel Landeskog of Sweden went second to the Colorado Avalanche. He had 36 goals in 53 games last season for the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League.

Jonathan Huberdeau, a center from Quebec, was taken third by the Florida Panthers, who were also in the same slot for the second year in a row. Huberdeau was the MVP of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs after getting three goals and three assists in four games for the Saint John's Sea Dogs.

Adam Larsson, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound defenseman from Sweden, was selected fourth by the New Jersey Devils. He played two full seasons for Skelleftea and was the third blue-liner to make his debut in the Swedish Elite League at age 16.

Then the New York Islanders chose center Ryan Strome of the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL. Strome was third in the league with 106 points in 65 games.

After that, the Ottawa Senators chose center Mika Zibanejad from Djurgarden of the Swedish Elite League. His mother is Finnish, and his father is Iranian, but he was born in Stockholm.

Then came the big announcement by Winnipeg: The team will be called the Jets. Formerly the Atlanta Thrashers, the franchise waited until the seconds before choosing center Mark Schiefele with the seventh selection to announce the new - er, old - nickname.

Defenseman Dougie Hamilton was drafted ninth by the Boston Bruins. The son of an Olympic rower (dad) and basketball player (mom), Hamilton had 58 points in 67 games last season for Niagara in the OHL.

News. The San Jose Sharks acquired defenseman Brent Burns from the Minnesota Wild for forward Devin Setoguchi and this year's first-round selection. . . . Claude Noel was hired as coach of the Winnipeg Jets. . . . The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman John-Michael Liles from the Colorado Avalanche. . . . The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed defenseman Eric Brewer to a four-year contract.