DRAFT: Matthew Savoie takes in his own draft experience

MONTREAL, QC - From the St. Albert U15 AAA Sabres to the stage of the NHL Draft in Montreal on Thursday night, local prospect Matthew Savoie's path to the Bell Centre for the first round of the draft could've gone in many different directions.
"There's definitely some big decisions along the way with what your future's going to look like and what path you're going to take," Savoie said, speaking at the Top Prospects Media Availability on Wednesday afternoon.
But with the support of his extended family, including Oilers prospect and brother Carter Savoie, the 18-year-old centre has been able to embrace the experience and enjoy the unknown of what NHL team he'll be a member of by the end of the night.
"It's definitely a bit of a waiting period right now, but it's just pure excitement for me," he said. "It's the approach I've had throughout the whole draft process -- be grateful and be happy to be in this moment. That's just how I've been approaching it."
"My family's here so I got to spend a little bit of time with them yesterday, which was really good. Now it's just draft preparation time. It's been exciting though, and a lot of fun."

Savoie's immediate family, including Carter and an extended cast of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, will be in attendance at the Bell Centre to watch Matthew hear his name called on Thursday night.
Savoie grew up an Oilers fan and has the experiences of his brother Carter to fall on following his selection by Edmonton in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft.
"It's great to have Carter around. We're so close," he said. "We grew up together and we supported each other through all the experiences. Seeing him go through it firsthand years ago was huge with the little bit of insight he can give me and the advice on how to handle all the pressure, how to talk to media and talk to different NHL teams.
"He's having a blast here in Montreal and it's going to be exciting tomorrow with my whole family."
As for any future partnerships and rivalries with Carter within the Pacific Division, he's keeping his focus centred on Thursday's first round of the NHL Draft.
"That'd be pretty cool to get the chance to play against him or with him one day," Savoie said. "My focus right now is taking that next step, getting drafted, and I think that's where the journey really starts and the hard work starts."

The St. Albert, AB product is ranked fourth on NHL Central Scouting's list of North American skaters after a strong season of 35 goals and 90 points in 65 games with the Winnipeg Ice. Determining the route he'd take to the NHL wasn't easy as he eventually elected to go the WHL route over the NCAA like his brother.
"It was definitely a long process," he said. "I was thinking of going to the University of Denver in the NCAA and there were lots of talks about the AJHL, so just kind of keeping my options open at a young age was something I wanted to do."
Despite Savoie's application back in 2019 for exceptional status to play in the WHL as a 15-year-old not being granted, he still appeared in 22 games for Winnipeg that season before making the decision to play for the United States Hockey League's Dubuque Fighting Saints in a COVID-19 challenged year against older, stiffer competition that was made even stronger by the lack of NCAA hockey.
"Development-wise I think that was the right thing for me," Savoie said. "To play 30-plus games down there against some real high competition with the NCAA being shut down that year, there was a lot of 19-and-20-year-old college players filtering back into the league, which made it an older and stronger league. I think for me being a younger guy and seeing those experiences, playing in that physicality was really positive for my development."
Savoie is working his way back from a shoulder injury he suffered in the WHL's Eastern Conference Final, where the Ice fell in five games to the Edmonton Oil Kings.
"It was everything you could hope for. Two of the top clubs in the Western League going at it, and that's what you want in playoffs and a conference final," he said. "Unfortunately I got injured in Game 2 and we didn't get to beat them, but just to go through the whole experience for our team with the COVID years, it was great to get that experience and get a few series' under our belt."