WATCH ABOVE: Thousands of Oilers fans packed Rexall Place for the big Draft announcement. Shallima Maharaj has the story.
EDMONTON – It didn’t take long for hockey fans across Oil Country to share their excitement on social media after the Edmonton Oilers selected phenom Connor McDavid first overall in the 2015 NHL Draft.
In what came as a surprise to no one, Oilers General Manager Peter Chiarelli took to the podium Friday to select the 18-year-old, who registered 97 goals and 188 assists over three seasons with the Erie Otters.
“The Edmonton Oilers would like to select, with their first pick, from the Erie Otters, Connor McDavid,” he said.
After hugging a few family members in the crowd, McDavid walked onto the stage, shook NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman’s hand, and put on his Edmonton Oilers jersey, with the number 97 on the back.
“This is unbelievable. There’s no words to describe how I feel right now. It’s so surreal,” he said in an interview after being picked.
WATCH: McDavid speaks to the media after being drafted by the Oilers
From Rexall Place Friday night, Jordan Eberle said he was excited by the news, saying he is a “hell of a player.”
“I think that, obviously, the excitement level that’s brewing in Edmonton for the upcoming season is great,” he said. “There’s a lot of positives happening around the city right now and we have a lot to look forward to.”
While there’s a lot of excitement building around McDavid and the Oilers, Eberle’s advice to the young hockey player was to take it one day at a time.
“You gotta gain your confidence and I’m sure he’ll be fine,” he said. “He’s a competitive kid and he’s going to fit it really well here. I just look forward to watching how dynamic he is and watching what he does day-to-day and hopefully get a chance to play with him.”
WATCH: Jordan Eberle speaks about McDavid being drafted by the Edmonton Oilers
Twitter was overrun with McDavid-related tweets, with many users, including his teammates, welcoming him to Edmonton.
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