Edmonton Oilers select Xavier Bourgault 22nd overall in NHL entry draft
The Edmonton Oilers' newest prospect was nearly at a loss for words Friday night.
The club took Xavier Bourgault with the 22nd overall pick in the NHL entry draft and the French-Canadian felt he'd found his perfect home.
“I can't describe the feeling right now,” he said. “I'm so happy to be drafted by the Oilers.”
Bourgault, a six-foot, 172-pound centre, said he had a good feeling about Edmonton after his pre-draft interview, and he believes it's a team that will help him grow into an NHL player.
“I think they help the young guys to get better. I think they develop their players very well,” he said. “There's a lot of great guys, you know those guys like McDavid and Draisaitl, and there's a lot of good veterans. And I think they will help the younger guys. And I think there's a great staff, too.”
Bourgault came into the draft as the No. 13-ranked North American skater after tallying 40 points (20 goals, 20 assists) in 29 games for the Shawinigan Cataractes in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season.
“He's a high-skilled offensive player,” said Tyler Wright, Edmonton's director of amateur scouting. “He can player centre, he can play the wing. He's got good size, he's got excellent vision, excellent skill. He's a student of the game.”
The Oilers originally had the No. 20 pick in Friday's first round but dealt it to the Minnesota Wild for the 22nd and the 90th.
The Wild used the 20th slot on Swedish goalie Jesper Wallstedt.
Edmonton will have some time to kill when the draft continues with the second round Saturday. The club's next pick is No. 90, coming in the third round, followed by Nos. 116, 180, 186 and 212.
The Oilers finished second in the North Division last season with a 35-19-2 record but were swept from the first round of the playoffs by the Winnipeg Jets.
Edmonton used the 14th overall pick on centre Dylan Holloway at the 2020 draft.
The 19-year-old Calgary native played at the University of Wisconsin last season, putting up 35 points (11 goals and 24 assists) in 23 games.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it’s too late
She was lying in bed on a Thursday morning, thinking about the man she loved, hoping to win his freedom before time ran out.
Accused of burglary at stepmother's home, U.S. senator says she wanted her father's ashes: charges
A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.