Ducks take Max Jones with 24th pick in NHL entry draft

The Ducks chose left wing Max Jones from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League with the 24th pick in the NHL draft Friday, the first of two selections they held in the first round. They also have the 30th pick in the draft, which began Friday at Buffalo’s First Niagara Center and will conclude Saturday with Rounds 2 through 7.

The Kings don’t have a first-round pick.

Jones, of Rochester, Mich., was the ninth American chosen in the first round. He’s considered a hard-nosed player and had a key role in London’s Memorial Cup championship.

Jones said during the NBCSN telecast that his family had endured “some ups and downs,� and that he was raised by a single mother.

He had 28 goals, 52 points and 106 penalty minutes in 63 regular-season games, but he was suspended for 12 games in the playoffs because of a blindside hit to the head against Owen Sound’s Justin Brack. He’s 6 feet 2 and 201 pounds at age 18.

His father, Brad Jones, played in the NHL for the Kings, Winnipeg Jets and Philadelphia Flyers.

MAX JONES: Selected with the 24th pick of the first round, a 6-foot-2, 206-pound left winger from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.

Highlights: Drafted Round 1, No. 18 overall, by London Knights in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection Draft. ... High Performance Hockey League under-18 most penalized player (123) in 2013-14. ... Won an under-17 World Hockey championships silver medal in 2014-15. Led WHC in goals (seven). ... Named to the 2015-16 Canadian Hockey League Top Prospects game. ... 2015-16 OHL champion with the London Knights. Finished with 28 goals and 24 assists in 63 games, was plus-30 and had 106 penalty minutes. ... Also 2016 Memorial Cup champion with the London Knights. ... Son of former NHL player Brad Jones who played 148 NHL games (Winnipeg Jets, KINGS, Philadelphia Flyers).

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The Ducks closed the first round by using the 30th pick to select center Sam Steel of the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. A native of Edmonton, Canada, he’s listed at 5 feet 11 and 176 pounds, which isn’t very big. But he had 23 goals and 70 points in 72 games for Regina last season and added six goals and 16 points in 12 playoff games.

SAM STEEL: Selected with the 30th pick of the first round, a 5-11, 178-pound center from the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League.

Highlights: Ranked third on Regina in assists (47) and tied for third in points (70). Recorded points in 16 of his last 23 regular-season games. Finished with 23 goals and 47 assists in 72 games, and was minus-eight. ... Played for Team Cherry at the 2016 Canadian Hockey League Top Prospects game. … Recorded a goal and two assists in five games to help Team Canada win the gold medal at the 2015 under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.

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