Music City, Family Time, Putting on the Jersey

My draft day actually started a couple of days earlier when I went to Nashville early with my mom [Sheryl], my dad [Milan] and my sister, Emily [two years older]. It was the first time in Nashville for all of us. We loved venturing around the city, seeing some spots downtown and it was cool just to hang out with my family. We didn't really know what was going to happen in the draft, but it was a lot of fun and sort of took my mind off things in a good way.

I don’t know that I had a great sleep the night before Day 2 of the draft [when drafted 57th overall with a late second-round pick acquired as part of a trade with Toronto that included inaugural Kraken captain and D-man Mark Giordano). It was hard not to think about the draft and where I might get picked.

Throughout the [2022-23] season, I probably talked to every NHL team. Over Zoom or email or in person, like a dinner or something like that. At the combine, I talked to the majority of the teams there. I talked to Seattle there. I wasn't sure it was going to be Seattle on draft day, but I feel so lucky to get picked by the Kraken.  I thought my combine interview with Seattle was pretty good. Maybe that helped out a little bit. We just had a good conversation and connected. I thought I left a good impression.

In those situations, my approach is just to be yourself. Teams know if you're being fake; they know if you're not being yourself, they can tell. They’ve done so many interviews throughout the years with numerous guys, so they can tell if you're trying to be something you're not. For me, being myself meant just answering the questions honestly and showing I want to continue to get better, have a good work ethic and want to help win games. I think what Seattle liked about me was my commitment to keep getting better.

For the second round, we were in a section with other prospects and their families. My agent, Gerry Johannson, was with me too. Honestly, I don’t remember much about what happened when my name was called. It was just a bunch of emotions with my family. I’ve worked toward it my whole life, so to hear my name called was very special. I got up, hugged my family, and then walked down to the floor. I don’t really remember the details, yet it is something I will never forget.

I shook hands with Ron [Francis] and all of the staff members who were there, everybody in the organization. It was super cool to meet all of them, some of them again when we met at the combine. Now I was part of an NHL organization. It was definitely exciting. I'll never forget being able to put that [Kraken home] jersey on for the first time.

Then, I did the various stations that all draft choices go through. I saw a lot of former teammates underneath [the arena] doing all the media stuff. It was great to be next to them in line and share how they got picked too. It was super cool to meet up with Caden Price [Seattle selected him in the third round]. We are good buddies and played on Team Canada together. I saw Carson Rehkopf [picked the Kraken seven slots ahead, at 50th overall] up in the team suite. He's another teammate from Team Canada, and we got to hang out a bit.

You know, when my name was announced, I got to hug my family for a few seconds and then you don’t see them again for maybe 40 minutes. Once I saw them again up in the suite, that's when it kind of really hit me. That I got drafted by Seattle. Just to see my mom and dad and sister all so happy, that was the best. They were interacting with some of the Kraken staff and other parents of kids who were drafted.

I did excuse myself from the suite for a while to get back into the arena seats. I was fortunate that my coach, Stu Barnes (former NHL player and a scout for the Kraken], GM Bob Tory, plus the entire coaching staff and other executives from Tri-Cities, my Western Hockey League team [for whom notched 14 goals and 36 assists in 66 games this past season].  It was really great to be able to see them and spend some time with them. I know how much they've done for me in these past three years. To be able to share that moment with them was awesome. I wanted to take the time to thank them in person. I was so grateful they were there.

The draft was pretty early in the morning Nashville time, so after the suite, we went to lunch at a great Mexican place and later went out to dinner a few blocks from our downtown hotel. We just made it a great family day. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and there was no one I wanted to share it and celebrate with more than my parents and sister.

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