Canucks Select Center Elias Pettersson Fifth Overall

Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning announced today that the Canucks have selected center Elias Pettersson fifth overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Pettersson, 18, spent the 2016.17 season with Timra in Sweden's second division, collecting 41 points (19-22-41) in 43 games. His goals and points ranked second among the team while his assist totals were the most by a junior-aged player in Sweden's second division. In 2015.16, the 6-2, 165-pound center split time between Timra's junior club where he registered six goals and eight assists in 22 games and its main team in the second division where he collected three goals and six assists in 25 games. The season prior, Pettersson recorded 38 points (20-18-38) in 18 games with Timra's Under-18 team and added 14 points (5-9-14) in eight playoff games to help secure the League's bronze medal.

On the international stage, the Sundsvall, Sweden, native won a silver medal for his country at both the 2016 Under-18 World Championship (1-7-8 in seven games) and the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial. He also represented Sweden at the 2017 World Junior Championship.