A Nanaimo Clippers player was chosen in the NHL Draft this weekend.
Defenceman Matt Lahey was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the seventh round, taken with the 200th overall pick.
According to a club press release, Lahey is the first Clippers player to be drafted directly from the team. Goaltender Marc Cheverie was taken by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round of the 2006 NHL Draft.
Lahey, from Victoria, had 19 points in 54 games for the Clippers in 2023-24. The 6-foot-4, 200 pounder has committed to play NCAA Div. 1 hockey at Clarkson University.
“Matt chose the college route early, made our team as a 16-year-old, and worked incredibly hard to get better; he earned every minute he played,” said Clippers head coach and GM Colin Birkas in the release. “This year, he made a massive step playing big minutes on our top pair with Brett Merner. Our entire organization is very proud of him, excited for his future with Toronto, and optimistic about the growing NHL attention our program is continuing to earn.”
The Clippers noted that former goalie Cooper Black signed an entry-level contract with the Stanley Cup-champion Panthers this past April, while graduating Clippers D-man Isa Parekh was recently invited the Calgary Flames' summer development camp.
