Welcome to New York, Alexis Lafreniere.

The Rangers selected the widely considered crown jewel of the 2020 NHL Draft with the No. 1 pick Tuesday night, marking the first top-overall pick for the franchise since Andre Veilleux in 1965 before the universal draft was inaugurated four years later.

Veilleux never made it to the NHL, and Lafreniere is already considered NHL-ready, so the anticipation for the 18-year-old left winger has been booming since the moment Rangers fans recognized the corner of their crest on the draft lottery pingpong ball.

General manager Jeff Gorton said he knew Lafreniere was going to be a Ranger “when the ball came out of the machine.” And now Rangers fans can officially call him theirs.

“It was an unreal feeling,” Lafreniere said of hearing his name called. “Obviously the New York Rangers are a great organization, and for me, I’m really honored to join them. When I heard my name it was — we’ve been waiting for a long time, it was something very special for me and for my family. We’re all really excited.”

After an early exit in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs at the hands of the Hurricanes in the qualifying round led to scoring the No. 1 pick, the Rangers’ rebuild shaved off a few years. It made the unforgettable Feb. 8, 2018 letter from Gorton and Glen Sather appear a little bit further in the rearview mirror.

Because Lafreniere has been waiting to be a difference-maker for an NHL team for longer than the Rangers have been waiting for one. The Rangers had a 12.5 percent chance of garnering the first pick, and they did.

For the Rangers, one of the youngest teams in the league, an NHL-ready draft pick fits the bill. Asked why he thinks he’s ready to jump right onto Broadway’s big stage, Lafreniere pointed to the steps he’s taken in his game in recent years.

“I think, physically, I got a lot stronger and I think in my game, I can create some scoring chances a lot and I think that’s something I’ll try to bring to the next level,” he said. “For sure, it’s going to be a bit of an adjustment but I’ll keep getting ready and when the training camp starts, I’ll try to be as good as I can and try to make a difference.”

Lafreniere most recently made a difference for Canada, helping win a gold medal at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship and being named tournament MVP. Even after missing the two final preliminary games with a leg injury, Lafreniere racked up four goals and six assists in five games.

After leading the QMJHL with 112 points (35 goals, 77 assists) in 52 games with the Rimouski Oceanic this past season, Lafreniere was named CHL player of the year for the second consecutive season. The only other pre-draft prospect to accomplish those feats was Penguins superstar and future Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby, who also played for Rimouski nearly two decades ago.

Lafreniere’s 42 goals during his rookie season were the most by a 16-year-old since Crosby scored 54 in 2003.

“For me, I’m really trying to focus on myself and on getting better as Alexis Lafreniere,” he said of the consistent comparison to the three-time Stanley Cup champion and eight-time All-Star. “I don’t think I’m Sidney Crosby.”

He’s Alexis Lafreniere, and he said the first time he realized he could potentially be the first-overall pick was a couple years ago when he first came to Rimouski.

“I told myself I had to work hard to keep getting better and that’s what I did,” he said. “We’re here today and I’m getting drafted with the New York Rangers, it was kind of a dream growing up just to be drafted and being drafted with such a great team it’s amazing for me.”

Lafreniere has never been to New York and he’s only somewhat familiar with Rangers winger Julien Gauthier, a fellow Canadian who he said he’s practiced with a handful of times. He’s unsure what number he’ll pick or what role he’ll take on, but to Lafreniere, it’s just an honor to be a New York Ranger.

Gorton said he hopes to see Lafreniere in a red, white and blue sweater as soon as next season begins — whenever that will be.

According to Hall of Famer Mike Bossy, whose namesake award for the best professional prospect in the QMJHL was given to Lafreniere this past season, Lafreniere has been preparing for this moment for a long time.

“He’s been on this trajectory for a while. He’s one of the faces of hockey in Quebec,” Bossy told The Post’s Larry Brooks in August. “He’s prepared for this. He’s ready.”

Can he be the face of New York next?

The Rangers dealt their Nos. 22 and 72 picks to the Flames in exchange for the 19th-overall selection, trading up to take defenseman Braden Schneider.

The Post’s Larry Brooks reported the Rangers believed the Devils were going to select Schneider with the No. 20 pick, which prompted them to leapfrog over New Jersey.

Alex Lafreniere (Round 1, No. 1)

Age: 18

Shoots: Left

Position: Left wing

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 192 lbs.

From: Saint-Eustache, Quebec

The skinny: Widely considered the crown jewel of the 2020 draft class, Lafreniere has the potential to be a franchise-altering player. He led the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic from a 59-point low-tier team in 2016-17 to a back-to-back playoff contender with 90-plus points. He joins Sidney Crosby as the only two pre-draft prospects to win CHL MVP more than once. Best known as a dynamic scoring threat with a tremendous hockey IQ, Lafreniere elevates his game when the situation calls for it. He is considered to be NHL-ready with his superior playmaking abilities, ice vision and competitiveness. Also known to make his linemates better and take control of a game, Lafreniere can tailor his game to fit any style of play or system.

Braden Schneider (Round 1, No. 19)

Age: 19

Shoots: Right

Position: Defenseman

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 209 lbs.

From: Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

Skinny: Described as a “behemoth” of a player, Schneider can deliver hits, overpower his opponents and bring a difference-making physicality to the game. He has a knack for breaking up plays and being a disruptive defenseman. Known as a mobile two-way defenseman, Schneider plays the 200-foot game and is a menace in the neutral zone. He has good positioning and gap control for a defenseman and can defend against the rush and the cycle game.