Draft Day Wake-Up Call

I was both anxious and hopeful about last summer's NHL Draft. In my first draft year, my 18-year-old year, I was passed over. I thought I had a pretty good season, but it didn't work out.
Going into the 2021 draft last summer I was hopeful. We had a shorter season due to the pandemic, but I thought I had another good year [three goals and 25 assists in a shortened 24-game season in 2020-21 with the Western Hockey League Regina Pats].
That morning, last July, I wasn't sure where I was going to go. I was on the ice the night before, so I thought I would sleep in until 9 a.m. when the second round started. I was just waking up, brushing my teeth, when I heard my parents yelling upstairs. My sister and my mom were screaming. I knew something was going on.

Before I could head to the stairs, my phone was ringing. I got the call from Ron Francis. Let's just say it was quite the wake-up call. I could still hear my family jumping up and down above me.
It was pretty cool to hear from a person of such hockey stature, telling me I was picked by Seattle. Ron congratulated me and I quickly thanked him for picking me. He told me there were a lot of Kraken scouts who wanted the team to pick me. I was thrilled and honored.
I talked with Ron for about five minutes. My mom and dad and younger sister Payten - she's a defenseman too and just committed to play for Merrimack College [NCAA Division I women's hockey] - we were all downstairs by then, listening in. My mom and sister were definitely crying.

When I got off the phone, we all ran back upstairs and hugged and celebrated. We just kept hugging. Even the cat was going crazy.
My mom said, "We're proud of you, you've worked so hard to be where you now are, you've done it." My dad told me when he heard my name called so soon [35th overall, third in Round 2], he sat in front of the TV "literally just making sure I had heard it correctly."
Downstairs, he told me, "The work has only just begun." He's right about that. In fact, later in the day, I did my usual off-ice workout in our garage.
I think it was a big relief for my parents, who helped me through it when I didn't get drafted in 2020. They both encouraged me to keep pushing myself, work harder, get stronger. They both will tell you it lit my fire even more.
My mom likes to tell a story I told my parents about a pre-draft interview I did with one NHL team. That I was asked, "OK, we know you are motivated to prove people wrong about not drafting you [in 2020], but let's say you make it to the NHL, what's going to motivate you then?" My answer was I will prove the team who picked me right.

It was all pretty hectic that morning. Seattle reached out to say there was media stuff that needed to be done. It was quite the whirlwind to wake up to.
Oh, and my phone was going crazy. I could barely use it with the calls and texts. I accidentally hung up on my agent. The phone wasn't even functioning properly. I was drafted as a bantam 13-year-old] by Regina [of the Western Hockey League]. I was 5-foot-3 and 110 pounds. It felt great to see how far I had come.
We had friends coming over all day and that night. Ex-teammates from younger days, tons of family. My parents bought out at least one store of all their Kraken gear to give to people who came over to the house.
One guest was Campbell Elynuik, who scouted me here in my hometown, Calgary, and believed in me when I was 110 pounds. He convinced the Pats and John Paddock [Regina GM and coach] to pick me in the 10th round. It was special to see him that night. There was a lot going but wanted him to know the impact he had on my career [Everett Silvertips fans will know the name, Elynuik played two seasons for the Western Hockey League a decade ago].
My parents told me Coach Paddock said that night at our house his "biggest mistake" was not picking me sooner in the bantam draft. He said Campbell said on the bantam draft day "you're not going to regret taking him."
My trainer here in Calgary,
[Glenn Vergie
, stopped by too. He got to where I am today. He's been instrumental in helping me gain speed and strength. I was so happy to reiterate that to him. It was fun to celebrate with him. It was unreal.
When the night ended, I just laid there in bed, thinking, I can't believe it. What happened? Then I got a really good night's sleep.