Terriers Enjoy Record First Round at NHL Draft
June 26, 2016 | Men's Ice Hockey
Four BU players taken in first 19 picks
Watch The Picks Being Made: Keller | McAvoy | Fabbro | Bellows
Interviews: Coach Quinn | Clayton Keller | Charlie McAvoy | Dante Fabbro | Kieffer Bellows | Chad Krys
Team Features: Keller (Arizona) | McAvoy (Boston) | Fabbro (Nashville) | Bellows (NY Islanders)
BUFFALO, N.Y. - It was a record-breaking night for the Boston University men's ice hockey program on Friday as four Terriers were selected in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft at the First Niagara Center.
Rising sophomore defensman Charlie McAvoy (14th, Boston Bruins) and incoming freshmen Clayton Keller (7th, Arizona Coyotes), Dante Fabbro (17th, Nashville Predators) and Kieffer Bellows (19th, New York Islanders) were all called to the stage to raise the number of NHL first-round draft picks in BU's history to 15.
The Terriers, who had multiple first-round picks for the first time in program history, matched Minnesota's record of four from the 2006 draft. BU set a record with four players selected in the first 19 picks (Minnesota's fourth 10 years ago came in at No. 20).
BU also led all NCAA schools in total number of players picked, as six Terriers had their names called during the seven-round draft.
After Keller became the sixth Terrier in program history to be a top-10 pick by going seventh to Arizona, the Bruins continued their trend of collecting BU talent by selecting McAvoy 14th overall. Three picks later, Nashville scooped up Fabbro - a blue-liner - before the quartet was capped at No. 19, where the Islanders nabbed Bellows, the son of former NHL standout Brian Bellows.
Incoming defenseman Chad Krys was picked 45th overall in the second round by the Chicago Blackhawks and the Predators grabbed another Terrier when they made incoming forward Patrick Harper their fifth-round pick at 138th overall. Krys and his father, Mark - captain of the Terriers' 1990-91 squad - became the first father-son combo at BU to each be an NHL draft pick. The elder Krys was selected by the Bruins in the eighth round of the 1988 draft.
This marked the third time that the Terriers had players taken in the first round in consecutive years following Jack Eichel going second overall to the Buffalo Sabres last summer. Kevin Shattenkirk and Colin Wilson - members of the 2009 national championship team - were selected in the 2007 and 2008 first rounds, respectively, while Scott Lachance was picked fourth overall in 1991 one year after Keith Tkachuk was picked 19th overall.
By having five players go in the first 45 selections, the Terriers will have over 10 percent of the 2016 NHL Draft top 50 on their roster for the upcoming season. The six total draftees were the most for BU since 2012 when eight were selected, tying a school record.
With the sixth pick in Friday's first round the Calgary Flames took Matthew Tkachuk, whose father is former BU and NHL great Keith Tkachuk.
