The Montreal Canadiens select Hayden Hawkey with the 177th overall pick

With the 177th pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, the Canadiens staff decided to go with Goaltender Hayden Hawkey of the Omaha Lancers in the USHL.

The 6'2", 174 pound netminder is slated to play for Providence College next season in the NCAA, with only a USHL resume behind him, it is a little hard to project what is realistic to expect from the young man but it is worth noting he was named the USHL Goaltender of the Year.  While this was playing in Junior A, it's a good sign he rose above the talent level in his league and could be moving ahead to bigger things.

With the wildcard nature of goaltenders in the draft, a late pick like this can be as valuable as a goalie taken in the 2nd round. He is unranked by Future Considerations, McKeen's and Hockey Prospect. This was his 2nd year of draft eligibility, he went undrafted in the 2013 NHL Draft.

From the Scouts:

Hockey Prospect: "His lateral, post-to-post ability is phenomenal, and is a major reason why he is so effective on breakaway and odd-man breaks. He made saves going post to post this season that were seemingly impossible to stop, but he stopped them. The rare time he does give up a rebound that leads to a quality second chance, he shuts the door much more often than not. He’s able to make adjustments and move in order to make a rebound save as good as anyone."