"It's unbelievable," Morand said. "It's a day I've dreamt of for a long time. To get drafted with my buddy, Maxime [Comtois, taken 50th overall] on the same team, it's incredible. We've been together since we were young. We've been through a lot together. We support each other. It's going to be awesome. I'm excited to get things started with him. I couldn't have asked for a better day."
Morand, 18, was the second-highest scorer on Acadie-Bathurst with 74 points (28g/46a) in 67 games during the 2016-17 season, and added 12 points (2g/10a) in 11 postseason contests. Moran, who was ranked 53rd by NHL Central Scouting in its final rankings, recorded two points (1g/1a) to help Team Cherry record a 7-5 victory at the 2017 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.
"The Anaheim Ducks are such a good organization with good players," he said. "I'm just super excited to get this journey excited."
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound center was drafted second overall by Acadie-Bathurst in the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft and went on to post 50 points (14g/36a) in 48 games during the 2015-16 season, placing him on the QMJHL All-Rookie Team. A native of Chateauguay, Quebec, Morand skated with Canada Red at the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, earning six points (3g/3a) in six games.
As for his own game, Morand says he's a player that can contribute on both sides of the puck. "I'm an offensive player with offensive skill," he said. "I have really good hockey sense and can play both sides of the ice."
