Elias Lindholm led the charge for World Junior A Challenge alumni at the NHL Entry Draft on Sunday, going fifth overall to the Carolina Hurricanes, the second year in a row an alumnus of the tournament has been selected in the top five.

The Swedish forward, who went scoreless in four games at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge in Langley, B.C., is the third-highest alumnus ever drafted, behind Nail Yakupov, who went No. 1 to Edmonton last year, and Kyle Turris, the third pick by Phoenix in 2007.

Lindholm was the first of three alumni picked in the first round; he and his 2011 teammate, Alexander Wennberg, who went 14th overall to Columbus, were sandwiched around 10th pick Valeri Nichushkin, who was selected by Dallas.

In all, 26 World Junior A Challenge alumni were chosen, tying the second-most ever at a single draft. There were also 26 picked last year, two less than the all-time record of 28 picks, set in 2010.

Included in the 26 are six members of the gold medal-winning United States entry from the 2012 World Junior A Challenge in Yarmouth, N.S. (Cammarata, Downing, Fitzgerald, Heinrich, Johnson, McAdam) and two members of Canada West, which settled for silver (De Jong, Murphy).

Since the first World Junior A Challenge in Yorkton and Humboldt, Sask., in 2006, 182 drafted players have taken part in the tournament, either prior to their selection or during the seasons following.

1ST ROUND
Elias Lindholm | 5th overall, Carolina | 2011 – Sweden
Valeri Nichushkin | 10th overall, Dallas | 2011 – Russia
Alexander Wennberg | 14th overall, Columbus | 2011 – Sweden

2ND ROUND
Ian McCoshen | 31st overall, Florida | 2011 – United States
Jacob de la Rose | 34th overall, Montreal | 2011 – Sweden
Valentin Zykov | 37th overall, Los Angeles | 2011 – Russia
Robert Hagg | 41st overall, Philadelphia | 2011 – Sweden
Linus Arnesson | 60th overall, Boston | 2011 – Sweden

3RD ROUND
Eamon McAdam | 70th overall, New York Islanders | 2012 – United States
Taylor Cammarata | 76th overall, New York Islanders | 2012 – United States
Bogdan Yakimov | 83rd overall, Edmonton | 2011 – Russia

4TH ROUND
Mike Downing | 97th overall, Florida | 2012 – United States
Matt Buckles | 98th overall, Florida | 2012 – Canada East
Ryan Fitzgerald | 120th overall, Boston | 2012 – United States

5TH ROUND
Gustav Possler | 130th overall, Buffalo | 2011 – Sweden
Luke Johnson | 134th overall, Chicago | 2012 – United States
Blake Heinrich | 144th overall, Washington | 2012 – United States

6TH ROUND
Blaine Byron | 179th overall, Pittsburgh | 2012 – Canada East

7TH ROUND
Wade Murphy | 185th overall, Nashville | 2012 – Canada West
Joël Vermin | 186th overall, Tampa Bay | 2010 – Switzerland
Rushan Rafikov | 187th overall, Calgary | 2012 – Russia      
Peter Quenneville | 195th overall, Columbus | 2011 – Canada West
Nolan De Jong | 197th overall, Minnesota | 2012 – Canada West
Mackenzie Weegar | 206th overall, Florida | 2011 – Canada East
Emil Galimov | 207th overall, San Jose | 2009 – Russia          
Troy Josephs | 209th overall, Pittsburgh | 2012 – Canada East