Draft:

On the first day of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft at the Consol Energy Center, the Florida Panthers selected D Michael Matheson with the club’s 23rd overall choice.

Rounds 2-7 begin on Saturday at 10 a.m. (EST) with Florida holding an additional four draft picks. Florida owns one pick each in the second, third, fourth, and sixth rounds.

Matheson, 18, recorded 27 points (11-16-27) in 53 games with the Dubuque Fighting Saints (United States Hockey League during the 2011-12 season, leading his squad’s defensemen in scoring. He also added five points (4-1-5) in five playoff games in his first year with the club. In 2010-11, the six-foot-one, 178-pound defenseman registered 38 points (14-24-38) in 35 games for LAC St-Louis.

The Pointe Claire, QC native represented Canada at the 2011 Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and played for Team Quebec at the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where he finished with eight points (2-6-8) in six games. Matheson has committed to play for Boston College for the fall of 2012.

18 éves, 6"1' magas, 178 font súlyú védő az első húzásunk.