After trading away their own first-round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft in order to dump Pavel Datsyuk’s contract, the Detroit Red Wings selected defenseman Dennis Cholowski with the 20th overall pick, acquired from the Arizona Coyotes in that same deal.
Cholowski, 18, is committed to St. Cloud State for the 2016-17 season. He played with the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL last season, scoring 40 points in 50 games, good for fifth in scoring among defensemen in the league.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling, unbelievable franchise and I’m extremely happy right now,” said Cholowski, who also cited former Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom as an influence.
