Q&A with 36th Overall Pick Colangelo

Shortly after being selected by the Ducks with the 36th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, right wing Sam Colangelo spoke on a Zoom call with members of the media.
How did it feel hearing your name called by Anaheim?
I had a bunch of family and friends here last night to watch. I didn't get picked, but I kind of had a gut feeling today that Anaheim would be the team. I had some great conversations with them. I'm super excited to be a Duck. It's a dream come true. I've dreamed of this my entire life. I couldn't be more excited to be a part of the Ducks family.
I can't even put it into words. It happened probably about an hour ago and it hasn't left my mind since. I'm so excited. This is a dream come true.

How many conversations did you have with Anaheim leading up to the draft?
I did two or three Zoom meetings with [General Manager Bob Murray] and a bunch of the scouts and staff. Throughout the year I had a couple individual meetings with some of their amateur scouts. They knew my game just as good as I do. They believed in me. They were straightforward with me and told me what they think I need to work on, which is my skating. I like that. I like when someone is straightforward with me. They're a great staff and were really respectful. Super excited to be a Duck.
You also had a significant growth spurt in high school.
Freshman year in high school I was 5-8, 150. By my junior year, I was 6-2, just around 200 pounds. I'm still growing a little bit. I've grown a lot over the past couple years and it's been steady throughout.
You're committed to Northeastern. The Ducks have some history with Boston-area colleges, with Trevor Zegras at Boston University, Harvard's Henry Thrun and Northeastern alumni Josh Manson.
I was Facetiming with Trevor right before the call. He's one of my good friends. We did Zoom calls throughout the summer as a team, and we had some alumni come on. I was able to hear him Josh Manson. That was pretty cool.
What did Trevor say to you when you guys talked?
My phone was kind of blowing up. I hadn't really been looking at it, but I happened to look at my phone and it was a FaceTime from him. We had kind of talked about the possibility of me going last night to the Ducks at 27. It didn't happen, but today I got picked by the Ducks. He was kind of just screaming. He was happy for me. We were both kind of going nuts. We were excited. He's one of a kind. I've known Trevor since I was six or seven years old. I'm in my basement right now, and there's probably been a couple holes in the walls from him here. He's one of my best friends. I haven't been able to hang out with him too much over the past couple years because our paths went different ways, but I'm excited to hopefully be able to play with him someday in Anaheim.
What do you know about the team?
I've never been to California, but I know a couple other draft picks. I skated with Henry Thrun all summer. I played with Henry growing up in summer tournaments pretty much my whole life. They have a winning history. I'm excited.
You played with some talented players at USHL Chicago. What made you stand out?
I'm a pretty big body. You notice me right away, but there's more to my game than that. I'm a skilled player for my size. Because I'm 6-2 doesn't mean I can't be skilled and have a good shot and be a playmaker. My playmaking ability is probably my best asset along with my shot, setting up my teammates and scoring goals anywhere in the offensive zone. I work extremely hard. I've earned everything I got in my hockey career. My dad didn't really play at a high level. I've just worked hard my entire life.
How would you describe your style of play?
I'm a highly skilled forward who loves to shoot the puck but can also set up my teammates. I worked on my defensive ability a lot over the past couple years. I consider myself a 200-foot player now.