The 2020 NHL draft was staged virtually this year, with prospects at home and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman leading the broadcast from the NHL Network’s studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, as the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The high picks this year did not get the chance to hear their names called in a bustling arena or get to cross the stage and shake hands with Bettman, but one team still found a way to make the moment special for their selection.
The Ottawa Senators, picking third, called on longtime “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek to reveal their selection of Tim Stützle.
And Trebek did it in classic “Jeopardy!” style:
Trebek, 80, attended the University of Ottawa and is a recipient of the Order of Canada. He has hosted the “Jeopardy!” game show since 1984. Trebek is currently battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Stützle, 18, is a fast-skating forward from Germany.
Making the Senators’ second pick in the first round a few picks later, Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion thanked Trebek for making the franchise’s first selection of the evening.