Konecny taken first overall April 09, 2013 – Ottawa, Ontario

In the end, it wasn’t a tough call at all. With other top talents on the board, the Ottawa 67’s knew they could not pass up the opportunity to select Travis Konecny with their first overall pick in the OHL league draft. For ex-coach and hall-of-famer Brian Kilrea, it was the move that needed to be done.  

"Travis' game never decreased, he just kept getting better and better. That was an easy pick, though there was an awful lot of interest in a couple of other players, but in the end we were unanimous that Travis was our guy."  

Hailing from Bothwell, Ontario, the five-foot-10, 165 pound Konecny is the first player to be picked first overall by the 67’s since 1993, when the Ottawa outfit selected Alyn McCauley with the top pick.  

"For our needs, we got a gem," said Kilrea. "In the last two years we lost an awful lot of goals, and we didn't replace a lot of them last year. We have to score more. How many games this year ended in one-goal losses?"  

In Konecny, who scored 53 goals and set up 61 others for the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs in 2012-13, Kilrea sees a unique talent that has all the tools to be a great player and leader.  

"He's a great building block, but the way he plays, it's infectious," Kilrea said of Konecny. "Everyone else will pick up off it and he'll bring them to a different level."  

Konecny has it all: playmaking skills, a great shot, and the kind of level-headedness and maturity that belies his age. Another Jonathan Toews in the making? The youngster explains that he tries to mold his game after the Chicago Blackhawk standout.  

"I feel I'm more of a playmaker and I try to win all my puck battles and races," he said. "I find that an assist is just as good as a goal, and points don't matter to me as long as the team is winning."  

It’s the kind of team first, winning attitude that the 67’s coaching staff sorely need, coming off a 38-point, last place finish. Only time will tell, but odds are the team will rebound next year. If it does, you can bet Travis Konecny will be right in the middle of it.