To the surprise of absolutely no one, the Parry Sound Orrsmen made Connor McDavid the top selection of the 2016 GWMHL Rookie Draft, but it was a trade by the West Virginia River Rats that sent ripples through the league.
The Rats, entering a sudden and bold rebuild mode, had already dealt Brent Burns and Henrik Lundqvist leading up to the draft, parted ways with the face of its franchise (and 39th leading scorer in league history), Sidney Crosby. Crosby gets a fresh start with the intriguing Great Lakes Pilots — while the River Rats get a pair of 1st rounders and a 3rd.
The draft would also see Max Pacioretty (Boston to El Dorado), Eric Staal (West Virginia to Delta), and Jimmy Howard (San Jose to Great Lakes) find new homes.
The draft itself offered one of the finest talent pools in recent memory. After McDavid, the San Jose Hosers selected Jack Eichel and the Portland Winterhawks took Artemi Panarin. The top defenseman chosen was Noah Hanifin (6th, Pittsburgh) and top goaltender was Matt Murray (11th, Boston).
Gump Worsley Memorial Hockey League 