RALEIGH, NC - The Carolina Hurricanes completed their activity at the 2019 NHL Draft on Saturday in Vancouver, selecting 11 players in rounds 2-7. The 11 draftees join forward Ryan Suzuki, whom the Hurricanes selected on Friday in the first round, 28th overall, in the team's 2019 draft class.
Canes Select 11 Players on Second Day of Draft
Seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie taken by Carolina
Carolina's 12 selections are tied for the second-most picks in one draft in franchise history. Previously, the Whalers selected 14 players in the 1983 NHL Draft and 12 players in the 1991 NHL Draft. In both 1983 and 1991, the NHL Draft consisted of 12 rounds.
With their first pick of the second round, 36th overall, the Hurricanes selected goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov. The 6'3", 205-pound netminder was ranked by NHL Central Scouting as the top European goaltender in this year's draft. Kochetkov posted an 8-7-3 record, 2.13 goals-against average, .930 save percentage and two shutouts in 18 games with HC Ryazan (Russia-2) in 2018-19. He also played a pair of Kontinental Hockey League games for HC Sochi last season, registering a 2.57 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. The Penza, Russia, native represented his home country at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he won bronze. Kochetkov, 19, was named Top Goaltender at the tournament after posting a 4-1 record, 1.45 goals-against average and .953 save percentage in five appearances.
Carolina traded the 37th overall pick to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the 44th and 83rd overall selections in the 2019 NHL Draft. At 44th overall, the Hurricanes selected forward Jamieson Rees from the Ontario Hockey League's Sarnia Sting. The Hamilton, Ont., native recorded 32 points (10g, 22a) in 37 games with the Sting in 2018-19, and has posted 52 points (15g, 37a) in 83 career OHL games. The 5'10", 172-pound forward represented Canada at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup as well as the 2019 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, winning gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Rees, 18, was selected ninth overall in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection by Sarnia.
The Hurricanes traded the 59th overall pick to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for the 73rd and 99th overall selections in the 2019 NHL Draft. At 73rd overall, Carolina selected forward Patrik Puistola. The Tampere, Finland, native registered 22 points (11g, 11a) in 25 games with Tappara U20 (Finland-Jr.) last season. He played 22 games on loan in 2018-19 with LeKi (Finland-2), recording 26 points (15g, 11a). The 6'0", 174-pound forward also made his Liiga debut with Tappara last season, posting one assist in 16 games. Puistola, 18, represented Finland at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2019 IIHF U18 World Championship.
With their second pick of the third round, Carolina selected defenseman Anttoni Honka 83rd overall. The Jyvaskyla, Finland, native recorded eight points (3g, 5a) in 27 Liiga games with JYP and Jukurit last season. Honka, 18, tallied nine points (2g, 7a) in six games with JYP U20 (Finland-Jr.) and also posted seven points (2g, 5a) in 11 regular season games with KeuPa HT (Finland-2). The 5'10", 179-pound blueliner added 11 points (3g, 8a) in 17 postseason games with KeuPa HT. Internationally, Honka won gold with Finland at the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship as well as the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship. His brother, Julius Honka, is a defenseman for the Dallas Stars.
The Hurricanes selected defenseman Domenick Fensore 90th overall with their third and final third-round pick. Fensore, 17, tallied 42 points (6g, 36a) in 55 games with the U.S. National Team Development Program last season, finishing fifth on the team in assists. The 5'7", 151-pound forward represented the United States internationally at the 2019 IIHF U18 World Championship, registering four assists in seven games and winning bronze. The Thornwood, N.Y., native is committed to play college hockey at Boston University.
Carolina made their first of two fourth-round selections by taking defenseman Cade Webber 99th overall. Webber, 18, posted 26 points (12g, 14a) in 29 prep school games with The Rivers School (Mass.) last season. The 6'6", 194-pound blueliner also skated in seven games with the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2018-19. Webber represented the U.S. at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he tallied two assists. The Meadville, Pa., native is committed to play the 2019-20 season with the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League, and after Penticton he is committed to play college hockey at Boston University.
The Hurricanes selected forward Tuukka Tieksola with the 121st overall pick in the fourth round. Tieksola, 18, registered 60 points (15g, 45a) in 51 games for Karpat U20 (Finland-Jr.) last season. The 5'10", 146-pound forward led the league in assists and finished tied for fifth in points and was named the 2018-19 Jr. A SM-liiga Rookie of the Year. Tieksola also made his Liiga debut in 2018-19, appearing in one game for Karpat. The Jaali, Finland, native represented his home country at the 2019 IIHF U18 World Championship, recording four points (1g, 3a) in five games.
With the 152nd overall pick in the fifth round, Carolina selected forward Kirill Slepets. The Khabarovsk, Russia, native registered 18 points (12g, 6a) for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl U20 (Russia-Jr.) during the 2018-19 regular season and added 10 points (4g, 6a) in 17 postseason games. Slepets, 20, also made his KHL debut last season, scoring one goal in 10 games with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. The 5'10", 165-pound forward represented his home country at the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship and the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, winning bronze at both tournaments.
The Hurricanes selected forward Kevin Wall 181st overall with their first of two sixth-round picks. Wall, 19, posted 64 points (31g, 33a) in 49 BCHL games for the Chilliwack Chiefs in 2018-19. The 6'0", 188-pound forward ranked eighth in the BCHL in both goals and points last season and added four points (2g, 2a) in 11 postseason games. Prior to last season, Wall played two seasons of prep school hockey at Salisbury School (Conn.). The Fairport, N.Y., native is committed to play college hockey at Penn State.
Two picks later, Carolina selected forward Blake Murray 183rd overall. Murray, 17, posted 50 points (30g, 20a) in 66 OHL games for the Sudbury Wolves last season, leading the team in goals. The 6'2", 187-pound forward added five points (4g, 1a) in eight playoff games for the Wolves. Murray won 54.4% of his faceoffs in 2018-19 and his five game-winning goals were tied for the team lead. The Uxbridge, Ont., native has registered 94 points (51g, 43a) in 123 career OHL games over two seasons with Sudbury.
With their final pick on Saturday, the Hurricanes selected forward Massimo Rizzo 216th overall in the seventh round. Rizzo, 18, registered 40 points (11g, 29a) in 37 BCHL games for the Penticton Vees last season. The 5'10", 175-pound forward served as Penticton's captain in 2018-19 and added six points (3g, 3a) in six playoff games. Rizzo has recorded 79 points (24g, 55a) in 90 career BCHL games. The Burnaby, B.C., native is committed to play college hockey at North Dakota.
