NHL Draft: Ottawa Senators take local boy Cody Ceci

The Ottawa Senators plucked a player right out of their own backyard with their first pick in the NHL draft as Bryan Murray and company selected defenceman Cody Ceci of the Ottawa 67s with the 15th pick overall.

The young defenceman is coming off a good offensive season that saw him score 60 points including 17 goals in 64 games.

Ceci added another 15 points in 18 playoff games.

Scouts say Ceci is a tireless skater, but his best attribute as a player is his heavy shot that was recently clocked at 96 miles per hour.

Not bad for an 18 year-old kid.

There was a lot of chatter around the Senators prior to the NHL draft starting tonight; most of it involving Ottawa being involved in a potential deal for Columbus Blue Jackets’ captain Rick Nash.

If that deal is going to go down, it will have to wait for day two.

Tonight was all about the Orleans native, Ceci.

Ceci went into the NHL draft ranked as the number six North American skater, and was still sitting there when his hometown team stepped to the podium.

By the reaction of his parents, and his entourage, it was easy to see that Ceci had dreamed of being a Senator for quite sometime.

Being selected by Ottawa was a relief for his mother, who will keep her 18 year-old son under her roof for the foreseeable future.

“I was just thinking they’d pick me up,” Ceci said of the anticipation leading to his selection. “I’m sure it was the same feeling for my mom, as you saw her reaction there at the end. She was really excited.”

“Getting to stay there for major junior was special, for her, and getting a chance to stay there now for the NHL is something else. It will be really cool for me and my whole family.

“Fortunately, it worked out for me. I’m lucky enough to go back home and try out for my hometown team.”

With only four defencemen under contract for next season Ceci will get an opportunity to crack the lineup next fall, but if the Senators decide to send him back to junior they won’t have far to go to watch their latest addition play as the 67s will be playing their games at Scotiabank Place next season while their home rink is being rebuilt.

Welcome to the NHL Cody Ceci, may you have a long and fruitful career.