The Pittsburgh Penguins used the first overall pick in the 2005 NHL entry draft to take 17-year-old Sidney Crosby of Canada on Saturday.
The arrival of the young superstar, whose already been compared to Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, is just what the NHL needed after the lockout which erased the 2004-2005 season. For Crosby, the waiting is finally over.
Crosby, who turns 18 next week, is a forward with surprising strength and masterful vision on the ice. He will share center stage in Pittsburgh with Mario Lemieux, the first overall pick himself in 1984.
PHOTO: AFP
"He creates a lot of excitement," said Lemieux, Crosby's possible linemate with the Penguins. "He has all the tools to be a great player. He sees the ice well, he's a great skater. He says he needs to work on his shot, but it looks pretty good to me."
The Anaheim Mighty Ducks picked forward Bobby Ryan with the No. 2 pick, and the Carolina Hurricanes drafted third and took defenseman Jack Johnson. Ryan and Johnson are the first American duo to go in the top three picks since 1983.
The Minnesota Wild chose fourth and selected left winger Benoit Pouliot, the Montreal Canadiens took goalie Carey Price, and the Columbus Blue Jackets followed by choosing center Gilbert Brule.
The Chicago Blackhawks took forward Jack Skille with the seventh pick, and Atlanta swapped the No. 8 spot with San Jose, getting the 12th, 49th and 207th picks from the Sharks. San Jose used the pick on right winger Devin Setoguchi.
Defenseman Brian Lee was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the ninth spot, and the Vancouver Canucks took defenseman Luc Bourdon to round out the top 10. The Los Angeles Kings used the 11th pick to grab Slovenian center Anze Kopitar, the first European selected.
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