June 21 (UPI) -- The New Jersey Devils selected U.S. center Jack Hughes with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft on Friday night.
Hughes, who played for the U.S. Hockey National Development Program Under-18 team the last two years, was the consensus top prospect since the beginning of the season.
"I think that I can be ready right away," Hughes said after being drafted. "I'm a pretty competitive person and I don't like sitting back. For me, I want to be an impact player on my team and a reason we win or a reason we lose."
The 18-year-old forward recorded 34 goals and racked up 112 points in 50 games last year with the U.S. National Development Program squad.
The New York Rangers selected Kaapo Kakko with the second-overall pick. The Finnish winger scored 22 goals and had 38 points in 45 Liiga games last year.
The Chicago Blackhawks drafted center Kirby Dach with the No. 3 overall pick. The Colorado Avalanche selected defenseman Bowen Byram at No. 4, and the Los Angeles Kings picked center Alex Turcotte with the fifth pick.
