Two Eagles Selected in First Round of the 2014 NHL Draft

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June 27, 2014 by conteconfidential

Boston College had two players selected in the first round of the NHL draft Friday night in Philadelphia, Penn.

Sonny Milano was the first Eagle to hear his named called, taken 16^th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was followed shortly by his U.S. National Team Development Program linemate Alex Tuch, who was selected 18th overall by the Minnesota Wild.

BC now boasts a total of 16 first-round draft picks in program history.

The last time two Eagles were selected in the first round of the same draft was in 2003, when Brian Boyle (26^th) and Patrick Eaves (29^th) were chosen by the Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators respectively. It had only happened two other times, in 1986 and 2000. Milano and Tuch were the highest picks since 2001, when Chuck Kobasew went 14^th to the Calgary Flames.

Sonny Milano notched 85 points (29g-56a) last season. Only four players have scored more in a single season for the NTDP (photo credit: Tom Sorensen)

Milano is the sixth-highest selection in BC history. A 6-foot, 183-pound left wing, he finished his NTDP career with the third most assists (85) and seventh most points (134) in program history. At the 2014 IIHF Men’s World U-18 Championship, he tied 2015 draft top prospect Jack Eichel for the team lead with 10 points (3g-7a) in seven games as the Americans captured gold for the fifth time in six years.

Tuch, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound right wing, totaled 64 points (29g-35a) in 61 games and tied for first on the U-18 team with seven game-winning goals. Playing alongside Milano and Eichel, he shattered his 2012-13 totals with the U-17 team by 39 points. Tuch is not the first BC player to be an 18^th overall pick as Brooks Orpik was chosen in that slot by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2000.

Michigan’s Dylan Larkin was the first American and first college-bound player selected, at 15^th overall to the Detroit Red Wings. Four college-bound players were taken in the first round: Larkin, Milano, Tuch and North Dakota’s Nick Schmaltz (CHI-20^th).

The most notable Eagle still on the board is Thatcher Demko. The 6-foot-3, 192-pound rising sophomore was the No. 1 ranked goalie by NHL Central Scouting. He began his collegiate career at just 17 years old, turning 18 in early December. He started 24 games, including all of BC’s NCAA tournament contests, posting a 2.24 GAA and a .919 sv%. Scott Savage, Christopher Brown and JD Dudek could also be mid-to-late round selections on Saturday.

By Jen Dobias