DRAFT: Schaefer sees lifelong dream of being an Oiler come true

MONTREAL, QC - Seattle Thunderbirds forward Reid Schaefer checked his hockey bag and sticks into the oversized luggage dropoff at Edmonton International Airport earlier this week before his flight to Montreal ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Not knowing what organization he'd be going to, the Spruce Grove, AB product had to have his gear ready in order to hop on another flight to attend the Development Camp of whichever club that would call his name at the Bell Centre on Thursday or Friday.
Now, he's heading back to Edmonton -- both his hometown and the city of the NHL franchise he can proudly call himself a part of.
"I brought my gear here planning on going somewhere and I guess I'm going right back home. It's awesome," Schaefer said. "I can just go home right after (Development Camp), a 25-minute drive."

The 18-year-old waited with anticipation until the very last pick of the first round of the Draft to hear his name called, knowing when Edmonton was set to step onto the stage for the 32nd and final selection of the first round that there was a real possibility he could be pulling on an Oilers jersey.
"I was kind of nervous there at pick 32, but I knew Edmonton showed some interest," he said.
"I got in a couple of days ago and then yesterday had a lot of interviews. I think nine or something. I went into today trying to keep myself relaxed and as calm as I can, but when pick 32 rolled around I was kind of on the edge of my seat."
The anticipation soon turned into exuberance as the life-long dream of being an Oiler soon became a reality.
"When I heard my name called, it was just a sigh of relief and a dream come true," he said. "I've dreamed of this my whole life, so for it to come true, it's awesome."

Schaefer combined his 6-foot-3, 214-pound frame with a strong shooting ability this campaign to put up 32 goals and 26 assists in 66 regular-season games before finishing top-10 in WHL playoff scoring with six goals and 21 points in 25 games as the Thunderbirds were trounced in five games by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the final.
Two of his self-labeled comparable players playing in the NHL currently include Vegas Golden Knights forward Alex Tuch and Josh Anderson of the Montreal Canadiens.
"I describe myself as a big two-way power forward that's got that offensive upside," Schaefer said. "I think I'm a pretty unique player that is very versatile, can play up and down your lineup and play the off-wing, so I think I'm very versatile in that kind of sense."
Schaefer attributed part of his successful season to the quality of teammates he had in Seattle, hoping he can help the Thunderbirds put together another run to the WHL title next season.
"Obviously going on a longer playoff run brings more scouts and all that attention to you, but without that team success there wouldn't be individual success," he said. "I credit that to the team and how well we did. We had a great group in that locker room and it was very fun, so we're hoping to do that next as well and try to win a WHL championship."
Schaefer comes full circle after growing up an Oilers fan and idolizing the likes of Shawn Horcoff when he was younger before the McDavid and Draisaitl generation took over in Oil Country.

"I had the Oilers jerseys around the house when I was younger," he said. "Just growing up a fan watching their playoff runs and stuff like that was very exciting, so I'm very pumped."
Even during Seattle's series with the Oil Kings, he and his teammates were able to absorb the atmosphere of the Oilers Western Conference Final matchup with the Colorado Avalanche.
"I watched quite a bit, actually," he said. "We were in town there for the Colorado series because we were obviously playing Edmonton, so we would eat at that Joey's right outside Rogers Place and watch it on the big screen.
"The coaches wouldn't let us go to the watch parties or anything like that, so that was probably a good decision by them."
One of Schaefer's biggest draws to the Oilers other than his hometown roots is the potential to line up alongside the Dynamic Duo in future playoff runs and develop his size and skill into an asset for Edmonton.
"The Oilers are a great organization that develops well, so it's very exciting to be a part of this organization and be a part of the McDavid's and Draisaitl's as well," he said.