Draft day is a big day for many young hockey players who dream of one day playing in the NHL. Getting chosen in the first round is hard to accomplish, and for most of these young athletes they would be happy to be selected by any team.
However, for one Quebec Native, Hendrix Lapierre, he was chosen 22nd overall by one of his favorite teams growing up, the Washington Capitals.
Lapierre’s support for the team came as a kid when he started to look up to NHL’s top scorer and Washington’s captain, Alex Ovechkin.
“I had his jersey, had his poster on my wall,” said Lapierre. “I think that’s really where it came from. My first real jersey I received was an Ovechkin Jersey. Washington holds a special place in my heart and I’m really happy to be a part of that organization for sure.”
Credit: Hendrix Lapierre
The Capitals traded their 24th pick and their 80th pick to the Calgary Flames to leap over the Philadelphia Flyers to draft Lapierre.
The 9th ranked forward by NHL Central Scouting, spent the 2019-2020 season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playing for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. He recorded two goals and 15 assists in 19 games. He also led all skaters in the 2019 Hinka Gretzky Cup with 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) to help team Canada win the silver medal.
Lapierre joins 16 centers previously selected in the first round by the Washington Capitals. Last year center Connor McMichael was drafted 25th overall by the organization.
For more NHL coverage, click here.
