Konecny Honoured By NHL

Not only did Travis Konecny have the honour of being selected in the first round, 24th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in this weekend’s NHL Draft, but the Clachan product also received the first ever E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence.

The award, created in honour of E.J. McGuire, who was the NHL director of Central Scouting for seven years before passing away from cancer in April 2011, will be presented each year to the draft eligible player who best exemplifies the commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness, and athleticism

Konecny, who captained the OHL’s Ottawa 67s this season, was presented with the award on the second day of the 2015 NHL Draft.

“We are excited to announce this year’s very qualified recipient and to know that going forward each year an elite draft prospect will be recognized as the pinnacle of his draft class in Edward John (E.J.) McGuire’s honor,” Central Scouting’s David Gregory said in an NHL press release regarding the award.

“He’s one of those high-character players, who brings skill, competitiveness, and he can play virtually in any situation and deliver, so he’s a player the coach can trust because he leads by example,” said Dan Marr, NHL director of Central Scouting, in the release.

“His teammates trust him. He has high character and no maintenance and he’s got the skills that he can contribute.”

Konecny finished this season in the OHL with 29 goals and 39 assists for 68 points in 60 games.