NEWARK, N.J. — Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby share a hometown.

The Avalanche won the draft lottery for the first time in team history and Joe Sakic, the man put in charge of Colorado’s rebuilding project, had made it clear that MacKinnon was going to be the top pick.

He wasn’t bluffing.

The Avalanche made the 17-year-old MacKinnon the first pick of the draft on Sunday at the Prudential Center. He was the first player drafted No. 1 overall out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League since the Pittsburgh Penguins selected Crosby in 2005.

MacKinnon and Crosby share more than that distinction — they’re both from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.

“I love Sid. He’s my favorite player,” MacKinnon said. “I guess he’s still my favorite player. I don’t really know what to say now since I’m going to be in the same league as him. I don’t know if I should dislike him or not.”

That was just the start of a busy day at the home of the New Jersey Devils, who gave a jam-packed crowd a reason to cheer when the announced they acquired goaltender Cory Schneider, 27, from Vancouver. Schneider seems in line to be the eventual successor to Brodeur, 41, in net.

Brodeur personally added another backup when he made the announcement that the Devils had drafted his son, Anthony.