The Colorado Avalanche went back to a familiar place for its first selection in the 2025 NHL draft.

Colorado selected Francesco Dell’Elce, a defenseman from the University of Massachusetts, with the No. 77 pick in the third round Saturday. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 179 pounds, the left-shooting Dell’Elce had seven goals and 24 points in 40 games as a freshman at UMass this past season.

Dell’Elce was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. This was the third year he was eligible for the draft. He turned 20 years old on Monday.

Two of the Avs’ three selections were overage prospects who had been passed over in drafts before. Colorado took multiple overage players a year ago as well, including goalie Ilya Nabokov in the second round and forward Nikita Prischepov in the seventh round.

“I think we’re at a place now where we view older players as players that can make an impact sooner,” Nick Pryor, the club’s director of amateur scouting, said. “(Dell’Elce) is an older guy that we feel is not far off if his game keeps progressing in the right direction. That’s exciting for us.”

Dell’Elce is the third Avs draft pick to play for UMass in the past nine years. Cale Makar was the No. 4 pick in the 2017 draft, and then Taylor Makar was a seventh-round selection in 2020. The Makar brothers played for the Brooks Bandits in the AJHL ahead of the draft before joining UMass.

Colorado’s second pick of the day was Linus Funck, a 6-foot-3 Swedish defenseman, at No. 118 in the fourth round.

Funck, a right-handed shot, had five goals and 28 points in 48 games for Luleå’s U-20 junior team. He was the 39th-ranked European skater in the class by NHL central scouting. He turned 18 on May 10.

“He’s got a really good feel for the puck and puck skills for a bigger body,” Pryor said. “He moves well. Like most, I think his game needs to round out and improve on the defensive side. … He’s exciting for us because he’s big, he’s mobile and he can move the puck.”

The Avs’ final choice of the draft was center Nolan Roed at No. 214 in the seventh round. Roed is a 5-11 center who had 27 goals and 60 points in 61 games for Tri-City in the USHL this past season. He’ll be a freshman at St. Cloud State next year.

“Nolan is a player that keeps getting better and better,” Pryor said. “I think with his scoring touch and competitiveness, he’s going to give himself a chance as long as his development keeps going in the right direction.”

Wang becomes highest-drafted player born in China

Simon Wang was proud to become the highest-drafted player born in China when the San Jose Sharks selected him Saturday with the first pick of the second round of the NHL draft.

The big defenseman is also confident he won’t hold that distinction for long.

“It’s an unreal moment for my family, for hockey in China,” Wang said. “Just a really surreal moment, a dream-come-true moment. ... I hope I’ve inspired a lot of kids back home.”

The 6-foot-5 blueliner was chosen 33rd overall while the NHL concluded its newly decentralized draft with the final six rounds at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The New York Islanders kicked off the draft Friday by using the first overall pick on defenseman Matthew Schaefer.

Wang’s family moved from Beijing to Toronto when he was 12 to further the career of a kid who attended the NHL China Games and became fascinated with a sport that has grown steadily in China.

Wang is only the third Chinese-born player ever drafted by the NHL, but he knows he won’t be the last. Kevin He was drafted 109th overall by the Winnipeg Jets last year, and Andong Song was chosen 172nd by the New York Islanders in 2015.

“Hopefully one day my record will get broken again,” Wang said. “Someone will go in the first round, even top 10. I think there will definitely be someone that’s going to make a huge impact on the game.”

His real name is Haoxi Wang, but he plans to go by Simon during his hockey career because “it’s simpler for North Americans,” he said.

Wang is a physical specimen who probably isn’t even done growing, but he surged forward in his hockey development over the past year, showing more than enough potential to entice the Sharks and several other teams.

Wang aspires to be an imposing two-way defenseman in the mold of Victor Hedman or Colton Parayko, but he had little draft buzz until the start of last season, when teams began to take notice of his rapidly developing skills. He soon joined the OHL’s Oshawa Generals and got even more exposure during their playoff run.

“Seeing so many scouts in the Junior A barn, it just started hitting me,” Wang said. “The summer before the season, I thought I was going undrafted, to be honest with you. But it happened for a reason, and I worked so hard for this. I deserve to be here.”

- The Associated Press