By Warren Kozireski —
Someone has to be the last pick in every draft. The NFL years ago started dubbing theirs “Mr. Irrelevant.” And now Lake View native Declan McDonnell has that distinction as the final pick—217th overall—in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 5’9”, 174 lb. right wing had a stellar second half of his first season in the OHL with Kitchener and finished with 21 goals and 42 points over 63 games. He previously four seasons in the Buffalo Jr. Sabres system and had 49 points in 54 games during his final season with the program.
Kitchener General Manager and Head Coach Mike McKenzie was quoted in KitchenerToday.com back in February that: “He’s a guy no one talks about. He should be getting more interest from NHL teams. People should be talking about him more. He’s third overall in rookie scoring.
“Work ethic and compete every practice, every work out and every shift. He’s on time for school every day. He goes to class every day. He’s low-maintenance. I can’t say enough good things about him.”
(NHL.com photo)
