Chicago Steel forward Brendan Brisson became the first forward in the team’s history to be picked in the first round of the NHL Draft on Tuesday night, as he was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights with the 29th overall pick.
Brisson is the third player in team history to be picked in the first round, joining defenseman Jamie Oleksiak (2011 Dallas Stars pick) and defenseman John Moore (2009 Columbus Blue Jackets pick) in that category.
“The Golden Knights are getting a player that is a great person, that loves to be at the rink and is always looking to add different elements to his game, always looking to get better,” Steel head coach Brock Sheahan said in a statement. “Brendan has high-end skill and can make plays at speed and is comfortable playing inside of contact.”
Brisson is committed to the University of Michigan for next season. He came into the draft ranked in the top 20 prospects in multiple publications, and was the 20th ranked North American skater according to NHL Central Scouting.
In his 2019-20 season with the Steel, Brisson scored 24 goals and dished out 35 assists in 45 games, winning the league’s Rookie of the Year honors.
The Steel are prepared to obliterate last year’s mark of three players drafted into the NHL, with numerous players potentially getting selected on the draft’s second day.
Draft coverage starts at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, with NHL Network handling the coverage of the second through seventh rounds of the draft.
