My Draft Day: Scott Mayfield

Scott Mayfield caught the attention of NHL scouts with great aplomb during his draft year. Upon completing his second year of junior hockey for the USHL'S Youngstown Phantoms, he was confident his name would be called at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center -- it was just a matter of when.

The right-shot defenseman patiently waited through all 30 first-round picks on Friday night, but didn't get discouraged. On Saturday morning, Mayfield was selected by the New York Islanders in the second round (34th overall).
"It was a little tough the first night," Mayfield said. "I was sweating right at the end there at the first round before the start of the second round. I knew there were a couple of teams kicking tires there late in the first round. You just don't know what's going to happen. It's nerve-wracking. I know a lot of guys get upset when they're not taken in the first round, I didn't necessarily get upset. It is what it is. It kind of sucks sitting there for three hours Friday night, but you know the next morning you're going to go there for five minutes and hear your name. That was the positive I took from it."

The long-awaited moment didn't disappoint.
The St. Louis native was surrounded by close friends and family who all made the eight-hour drive up to Minnesota for the momentous weekend. So, when Mayfield's name was finally announced four picks into the second round, it was a shared coalescence of all his individual hard work as well as the sacrifices and encouragement from his biggest supporters to help him reach his dream.
"It's pretty surreal when it happens," Mayfield said. "You watch it every year and you know it's going to happen eventually. During my two years in junior, I kind of knew I was going to get drafted. But it really hit when I walked down there and met everyone. [Charles B. Wang] was at the draft, all of the coaches were there. That's the first time you meet everyone and you know you're part of that group there."
Leading up to the draft, Mayfield knew the Islanders were interested. During his two seasons of junior hockey, he corresponded with a few scouts and the Isles were one of the teams he interviewed with at the 2011 NHL Scouting Combine in Toronto.
Mayfield notably placed in the top 10 in eight events, including a first place finish in the Vertec test, which measured his vertical jump with a score of 5657.0 and a second place finish in the Hand Eye Coordination test with a score of 36.6.

"I think I [interviewed with] about 20 out of 30 teams," Mayfield said. "The fitness testing, a lot of guys get nervous for that, but I wasn't nervous. I felt really confident in the fitness testing. I think the interviews went really good. I'm talkative and personable, so I don't nervous for that stuff...It's fun too, you go into Toronto and you're with a bunch of guys who are about to get drafted and just starting out their careers too."
For Mayfield, who has serviced the Islanders' blueline for four seasons and set a new career-best with his five goals during the 2019-20 regular season, he's not only grown into adulthood, but his own maturation has paralleled that of the organization's.
"The first time I ever came to Long Island for Development Camp that year, it was a lot different then," Mayfield reflected. "We had a completely different practice rink, you'd go to the Coliseum a couple of times and then go work out at this random gym behind a McDonalds out here that now, I live right next to. You see that transformation happen. Now, we have an amazing practice facility, the Coliseum looks so different, we've gone to Brooklyn in this time, we've left Brooklyn in this time. It's been a lot, it's been a little bit of a rollercoaster."
June 25 signifies nine years since Mayfield became a member of the Islanders organization. The 27-year-old has since fulfilled a number of personal and professional milestones. On the ice, he's worked his way through the ranks after playing two seasons at the University of Denver, four seasons with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and now, established himself as a sturdy NHL defenseman.

Long Island has become a second home for Mayfield, his fiancé, Emily, and their goldendoodle, Odis. They've established roots in the community; whether it's enjoying the widespread culinary selection nearby, taking trips to the beach, or grabbing a fresh brew at their favorite coffee shop -- Mayfield has come a long way since his draft day.
"When I was 18, I didn't think, 'Oh, I'm going to have a house in this town and I'm going to start a family someday,'" Mayfield said. "So, it's cool to look back on. Everything changes a little bit."