Winnipeg Jets select centre Chaz Lucius with No. 18 pick in NHL entry draft
Chaz Lucius wasn't shy about mentioning his admiration of Jets star Mark Scheifele in his pre-draft interview with Winnipeg
The honesty obviously worked -- Winnipeg selected to select Lucius 18th overall in the NHL entry draft on Friday.
The six-foot-one, 185-pound centre is excited about the chance to work and train alongside a player he's long admired.
"I really look up to up to Mark Scheifele. He's a guy I try to model my game after," Lucius said. "It's pretty cool that now that I've been drafted by the Jets and to have him in as an idol of mine. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity there and I'll keep watching his games."
Lucius comes to Winnipeg from the U.S. National Team Development Program where he tallied 20 points (13 goals, 7 assists) in 13 games after recovering from a knee injury last season.
The adversity he faced probably helped the dynamic forward land with the Jets, said Winnipeg's general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff.
"We're real excited. I think it's a good value pick where we got it," he said. "A really skilled player, a really good character player."
Lucius was the No. 12-ranked North American skater and is set to play at the University of Minnesota next fall.
He's looking forward, though, to eventually joining the Jets' ranks.
"(Winnipeg's) a really fun team to watch, fast paced," he said. "There's a really bright future for the Winnipeg Jets and I'm just looking forward to being a part of it.
The draft is being held virtually for the second year in a row, so Cheveldayoff announced the selection via video from the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg.
Winnipeg finished the regular season third in the North Division with a 30-23-3 record and swept the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs. The Jets struggled in round two, however, and were ousted by the Montreal Canadiens in a four-game series.
The Jets will have three more picks to make (No. 50, 82, 146) when the draft resumes with the second round on Saturday.
Winnipeg took centre Cole Perfetti 10th overall in the 2020 draft.
The 19-year-old from Whitby, Ont., spent last season with the Jets' American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, and registered 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 32 games.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.