With the Number One Pick in the Draft...

... the New York Islanders select John Tavares of the London (Ontario, Canada) Knights. With one stroke, they've added to their young and talented line-up with Jeff Tambellini, Kyle Okposo, Mike Sillinger, Andy Hilbert, and Rick DiPietro.

Tavares, a 6-foot, 185-pound native of Oakville, Ont., led the Ontario Hockey League with 58 goals this season and broke Peter Lee's 33-year-old league record of 213 career goals. Islanders fans filled Nassau Coliseum to watch the draft live on massive video screens from the Belle Centre (home of the Canadiens) in Montreal. When Tavares was announced as the pick, isles fans just whooped it up.




Unable to follow the draft since I was out all day, I too was ecstatic over the choice of Tavares.

Tavares is the Isles' fourth number one overall pick following Billy Harris, Dennis Potvin, and DiPietro.