2018 Draft Diary: Brady Tkachuk

Boston University freshman left wing Brady Tkachuk (6-foot-3, 191 pounds), selected at No. 4 by the Ottawa Senators in the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Friday, had 31 points (eight goals, 23 assists), 131 shots and a plus-15 rating in 40 games this season. The 18-year-old is the son of United States Hockey Hall of Famer Keith Tkachuk and the younger brother of Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. Brady offered to maintain a diary for NHL.com leading up to the draft. His final entry was submitted after the first round.

Hello hockey fans from the NHL Draft in Dallas.
I can't begin to describe how excited I am to be an Ottawa Senator. I know a few guys and it'll be nice to kind of jell right away, but I'm super happy and can't wait to get going up there.
RELATED: [Tkachuk brings right skill, character to Senators at No. 4 in Draft | Complete NHL Draft coverage]
I have to admit, I was pretty nervous this morning. We had breakfast with the prospects and Commissioner Gary Bettman and it was nice. My family sat with Quintin Hughes (the No. 7 pick by the Vancouver Canucks) and his family so we were sitting together, just chatting. I began getting a little nervous and then had a couple of meetings and got to see family and friends, so I got pretty distracted and didn't really think much about it.
Once I heard the Senators announce, ''From Boston University, Brady Tkachuk,'' I just was so relieved and so excited. The first person I looked to was my mom and I think I heard her say ''I love you'' about five times. I'm on cloud nine right now.

I've heard the things going on in Ottawa but I still think it's one of the best organizations in the NHL. I'm going to be myself and pride myself on being a good teammate.
It's pretty cool to be the highest-drafted Tkachuk. There will be a couple of brags and chirps, but obviously there's not much chirping after that because you still have to prove what you're worth. My dad went No. 19 in 1990 to the Winnipeg Jets and had a great career. My brother went No. 6 to the Calgary Flames in 2016 and is off to a great start. I'm just trying to soak it all in and will get to work on Sunday and Monday when I arrive in Ottawa.

I must say, it was a great season. To share in it with the group of guys we had at Boston University and then to culminate with being drafted has been incredible. I dreamed about this my whole life and going in the first round is special. I'm happy to share it with family and friends.
I actually gave my cellphone to my sister (Taryn) before I even got here. I turned it off and didn't even want to see my phone for the rest of the night because I didn't want to be distracted. I just wanted to cherish every moment with my family and friends.
Thank you for reading all season long!