I swear it seems NHL commissioner Gary Bettmen gets booed louder and more often than any hated visiting team in all of sports.

This year’s NHL entry draft got off to a slow start in Montreal last Friday. Not only did fans have to suffer long rambles of thanks (to be appreciated for sure but come on already!) but they had to suffer it twice as long as most had to be repeated in French soon afterwards.

The top picks went as close as anyone could calculate as the New York Islanders took 18 yr. old John Tavares with the #1 pick. The Islanders now have a NHL record of 4 #1 picks throughout its history. I’m not sure if that is something to be proud of but grabbing Tavares sent Islander fans in an uproar of cheers. They haven’t had much to cheer for in recent years have they? Tavares, who has been scouted for atleast 4-5 yrs, could have an immediate impact and should easily play at a pro level in his first season. New York continued being aggressive, trading up for Minnesota’s first round pick. According to an online source, fans grabbed over $15,000 worth of Tavares merchandise in the first hour after the pick and sold multitudes of season tickets. The fans have spoken.

The rest of the top 5:

#2) Tampa Bay selected Victor Hedman (Tampa needed defensive help and Hedman could have easily slipped into the #1 slot. Hedman will probably also see plenty of ice time in his first season.)

#3) Colorado selected Matt Duchene (He’s a smart playmaker, fast, and wanted to play in Colorado. It’s a win-win.)

#4) Atlanta selected Evander Kane (Atlanta reportedly dangled the #4 pick but could be happy with Kane on a forward line with Kovalchuk. Anything to improve the Thrashers 1 playoff appearance!)

#5) Los Angeles selected Brayden Schenn (Kings GM Dean Lombardi may have taken Schenn to spite Toronto GM Brian Burke but picked a great power forward regardless).

Other expected trades were relatively quiet throughout the league with a few exceptions. The Philadelphia Flyers made a double-take "wtf" move when they grabbed defenseman Chris Pronger and prospect Ryan Dingle from Anaheim in exchange for Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, two first-round picks in 2009 and 2010, and a conditional pick in 2010 or 2011. Quite the price tag (and quite the defensive improvement) for what could probably be a rental, one-season home for the aging all-star.

The other big name move was from Calgary who acquired highly sought after defenseman Jay Bouwmeester from Florida. Things just got a lot better for the Flames.

Exciting drama in the beginning draft and a quiet weekend followed. With so many free-agents floating around look for more headlines dropping in the next few months.