Meet the 2014 Anaheim Ducks Draft Class
Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Nicholas Ritchie poses for a photo with team officials after being selected as the number ten overall pick to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
After beginning on Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, the 2014 NHL Draft wrapped up on Saturday. It is every hockey player’s dream to hear his name called on draft day as each player has worked hard to get to this point.
The Anaheim Ducks have stuck “draft gold” the past decade. Beginning with the selections of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry in 2003, the Ducks have used the draft to bring in the likes of Kyle Palmieri (2009), Cam Fowler (2010), Emerson Etem (2010), Rickard Rakell (2011), and Hampus Lindholm (2012).
The 2014 Anaheim Ducks draft class saw the Ducks take two forwards and three defensemen.
Here are the five players that make up the Ducks’ 2014 NHL Draft class.
Nick Ritchie, Round 1, No. 10 Overall
Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Nicholas Ritchie walks to the stage after being selected as the number ten overall pick to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 18 (12/5/95)
Height: 6’2
Weight: 226
Position: LW
Shoots: Left
Team: Peterborough (OHL)
Twitter: @ritchboiii
Nick Ritchie could end up being the steal of the draft.
How you ask?
The Ducks acquired Ryan Kesler hours before the draft and many believed that it would take the No. 10 pick to bring him in.
Instead, Anaheim shipped the No. 24 pick to Vancouver and held on to No. 10.
Fortunately for the Ducks, Ritchie fell right into their laps.
Ritchie is your prototypical power forward. He has great size and strength. The 18 year-old can also find the back of the net as he finished last season with 39 goals.
Ritchie would go on to tally a total of 74 points in his 2013-2014 campaign. He also racked up 136 penalty minutes which shows Ritchie is not afraid to throw his big body around.
One scout says he is a Jamie Benn type player and another calls him a true “power forward.”
“The term power forward is overused in hockey, but it’s not in this case. This kid is a power forward. He can impose his will on games and when he does, it’s a scary thing to behold.”
Marcus Pettersson, Round 2, No. 38 Overall
Age: 18 (5/8/1996)
Height: 6’3
Weight: 167
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Team: Skelleftea (Swedish Jr.)
Twitter: @mpettersson16
The Ducks kept adding to their size when the second round began as they scooped up Marcus Pettersson (6’3) with the 38th overall pick.
Pettersson, a native of Sweden, was an assistant captain with Skelleftea’s junior squad last season. He finished with 18 points as he potted four goals and added 14 assists.
The young Swede was also a member of Sweden’s U-17 hockey team which won the gold medal in 2013.
His slim frame could be seen as a weakness according to one scout, but another says his upside is tremendous.
“He has some of the most upside in his game of anybody this year. He covers a lot of ice and has some bite in his game. He moves the puck well and can play on the power play too.”
Brandon Montour, Round 2, No. 55 Overall
Age: 20 (4/11/94)
Height: 5’11
Weight: 186
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Team: Waterloo (USHL)
Twitter: @Montour93
The Ducks went right back to strengthening their defensive core with the selection of Brandon Montour.
Montour was the second defenseman taken by the Ducks in the second round. He doesn’t have the size like Pettersson, but makes up for it with his offensive production.
In 60 games last season, Montour racked up 62 points with 14 goals and 48 assists as he led all defensemen in the USHL. As a result, he was named the 2013-2014 USHL Defenseman of the Year and USHL Player of the Year.
Not bad for a guy who was in his first season with Waterloo right?
Matthew Berkovitz, Round 5, No. 123 Overall
Age: 18 (2/16/96)
Height: 6’1
Weight: 180
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Team: Ashwaubenon (High School, Wisconsin)
Twitter: @MattBendovitz
After a two-round break, the Ducks came right back with another defenseman in fifth round with the selection of Matthew Berkovitz.
Berkovitz, a native of Wisconsin, tallied 11 goals and 26 assists last season with Ashwaubenon. He led his team to the Section 5 championship game and had four points in three playoff contests.
He also competed for Team Wisconsin in the Upper Midwest High School Elite league last year. In 21 games, Berkovitz had 13 points (3 goals, 10 assists).
Berkovitz has committed to the University of Wisconsin.
Ondrej Kase, Round 7, No. 205 Overall
Age: 18 (11/8/95)
Height: 5’10
Weight: 159
Position: LW
Shoots: Right
Team: Chomutov (Czech Republic)
After taking three straight defenseman, Anaheim went with a forward in the seventh round as it selected Ondrej Kase from the Czech Republic.
In 37 games while playing in the top mens’ league in the Czech Republic, Kase scored four goals and added three helpers. While playing for the junior team at Chomutov, Kase fared much better as he registered 15 points in seven games.
Kase suited up for the 2014 World Junior Championships where he scored the game-winning goal against Slovakia that catupulted the Czechs to the quarterfinals.