The Erie Otters remain Carey Terrance’s foremost focus when it comes to hockey.
The Akwesasne, New York, native is expected to return to the Ontario Hockey League team for its 2023-24 season.
Terrance’s teammates, though, shouldn’t be surprised at any side glances he gives to the fortunes of another franchise.
That franchise is the Anaheim Ducks, which picked the 6-foot, 178-pound center during Thursday’s second round of the NHL draft in Nashville, Tennessee.
Terrance, 18, was the 59th overall pick. He became the 44th Otter selected by one of the NHL’s 32 teams.
Terrance, in an Otters news release, said his mind went blank when he learned about Anaheim’s decision.
“To be with my mom, dad and two little sisters, it’s been what I’ve been working towards my whole life,” he said. “This (has been) my dream since I was going to (NHL games) since I was young. This is the first step towards making it to the next level.”
Last season, Terrance was Erie’s leading scorer with 30 goals and a total of 47 points. The NHL Scouting Bureau ranked him 38th among North American skaters.
Terrance arrived in Erie with the 10th overall pick in the 2021 OHL priority selection draft. His first two seasons with the Otters saw him record 40 goals and 31 assists.
Terrance’s production was good enough to warrant an invitation to the recent NHL scouting combine in Buffalo, New York.
“(Erie) is elated for Carey and the whole Terrance family,” Otters general manager Dave Brown said in a news release. “Carey is a leader and a player all organizations covet. Carey’s future is very bright, and we’re excited to share this moment with him.”
An Otter already in Anaheim
The Ducks’ decision means Terrance and former Erie defenseman Jamie Drysdale could be future teammates.
Anaheim selected Drysdale, who played two seasons for the Otters, with the sixth overall pick in the NHL’s 2020 draft. A shoulder injury ended his 2022-23 season, the last in his three-year entry contract, after eight games.
Terrance also became the third Otters chosen by the 2006-07 Stanley Cup champion. Anaheim took Brian Lee, a defenseman like Drysdale, with the 71st pick in the NHL’s 2002 draft.
Terrance was Erie’s lone selection during the two-day draft, which concluded Thursday afternoon.
Recent Otters picked in an NHL draft:
Erie Otters picks during the past four NHL drafts include the following:
2020: 6. Jamie Drysdale, defenseman Anaheim Ducks; 172. Chad Yetman, forward, Chicago Blackhawks
2021: 178. Connor Lockhart, center, Vancouver Canucks
2022: 50. Christian Kyrou, defenseman, Dallas Stars
2023: 59. Carey Terrance, center, Anaheim Ducks
On the market: These former Erie Otters are on the market as NHL free agents. Where will they end up?
Otters schedule: What are notable home dates to circle on the Erie Otters’ schedule for the 2023-24 season?
Contact Mike Copper at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Carey Terrance taken by Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the NHL draft