Anthony Duclair didn't know what to expect heading into the 2013 NHL Draft.
Arriving to the Prudential Center in New Jersey, the speedy forward was ranked 57th among North American Skates on NHL Central Scouting's final pre-draft rankings, which meant that it was likely every single team in the league would get at least one chance to take a shot on him.
Of course, one team is all it takes.
My Draft Day: Anthony Duclair
"I was a wild card, to be honest," Duclair recently told FloridaPanthers.com "I didn't know where I was going to end up. I met with, I think, seven or eight teams prior to the draft. I had no clue."
Eventually scooped up by the New York Rangers in the third round (80th overall), the Pointe-Claire Quebec went on to appear in 18 games with the Blueshirts before embarking on a tour around the NHL that has featured stops in Arizona, Chicago, Columbus, Ottawa and Florida.
Opting to join the Panthers on a one-year contract following an all-star season with the Senators in 2019-20, Duclair finished this past campaign tied for fifth on the team in scoring with 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in 43 games played, while also steadily piling up a career-high +27 rating.
Feel caught up to speed on is career? Good.
With the 2021 NHL Draft set to take place digitally on July 23-24, Duclair, now 25 and preparing for already his eighth season in the NHL, recently chatted with FloridaPanthers.com's Jameson Olive to discuss his experience at the annual event and how it helped shape his career early on.
OLIVE: It's been roughly eight years since you were drafted. When you think about that day, what are some of the first things that come to your mind?
DUCLAIR:My draft was in New Jersey, but my whole family stayed in New York, right by Times Square. We made a weekend out of it. For some reason that year, our draft was just one full day. It was pretty cool just to see the whole experience from start to finish. It's a day that I'll never forget. Hearing my name, just going to New York and staying there, it was unbelievable.
OLIVE: Given where you were in the rankings, was there a moment during the draft where you felt like your window opened and your name could be called at any moment?
DUCLAIR: I'd say around the mid-second round to early third round was where I started to think I could go. Every pick in that window, I was on the edge of my seat. Those are the ups and downs that you go through. I remember being just really anxious. I just wanted to get it over with. When I finally got picked, it was just such of a relief. I was happy and honored at the time.
OLIVE: Did you get any sort of special feeling when the Rangers were on the clock?
DUCLAIR:Honestly, it really hit me out of the blue. I was really surprised. I had a great talk with one of the scouts there after they picked me. He told me that it doesn't matter where you get drafted, it's what you do after. I still remember that line. I took it to heart. It's true year after year. You see some guys drafted in the first round that never end up playing a game, and then you see some guys that went undrafted ending up in the Hall of Fame. In any sport, you hear people saying pretty much that same thing. It's a bit of a cliché now, but it's the truth. It doesn't matter where you get drafted, it's the work you put in after. Whether you're the first pick or the last pick, you're getting treated the same when you arrive at training camp. All you can do is be ready.
OLIVE: What was your initial reaction to hearing your name called?
DUCLAIR:It was just a proud moment for myself and my whole family. We shared it together. They've done so much for me and sacrificed so much for me. It was just a family celebration.
OLIVE: After the celebration in the stands was over, what happened next?
DUCLAIR:I just went down to the table and meet everybody. I was just shaking everybody's hand. There was just so many emotions going through my head that I couldn't really hear anything they were saying to me [laughs]. I didn't really know anybody's names, but it was great. Once it all settled down and got out of there, it really, really sunk in. I actually didn't have much time to celebrate because the next day was our first day of rookie camp. When I got back home to Montreal after that first camp, I knew that's when the work was really going to start for me.
OLIVE: Do you remember much from your post-draft media availability?
DUCLAIR:Yeah, it was unbelievable. It's a moment that you dream of as a kid and then it finally happens. I was just like, "I'm finally here as a professional hockey player." I'd put in so much work into it. I was so proud. Like I said, it was a family celebration more than anything.
OLIVE: While you were being run through the media gauntlet of photos and interviews, do you remember bumping into any of your friends that had also been drafted?
DUCLAIR:Yeah, I remember my buddy Jonathan Drouin went pretty high to Tampa. Frederik Gauthier also went first round to the Leafs. I remember my buddy Zac Fucale went to the Habs along with my other buddy Jeremy Gregoire. It was a lot of guys I'd been playing against in the Q (QMJHL). There were also a lot of guys from Montreal that got drafted by the Habs, so I was really happy for them. I couldn't imagine their reactions when they got drafted. There were a bunch of guys that I crossed paths with and congratulated. It was a special day for everyone.
OLIVE: I always enjoy the answer to this question since every guy I've talked to has always had their own unique answer: Do you remember when you took your draft jersey off?
DUCLAIR:Oh yeah, I kept it on [laughs]. We took some pictures with it when we got back from the draft. I was walking around wearing the jersey in Times Square. People had no idea I just got drafted. They probably just thought I was another fan in a Rangers jersey. I blended right in. I actually didn't take it off until I got back to my room, but even then I probably kept it on for a bit.
OLIVE: Where do you keep the jersey these days?
DUCLAIR: It's framed right now at my house. It'll be there forever.
OLIVE: From a guy that's already been through it all, what advice would you give the players that are about to be drafted later this month?
DUCLAIR:I wish them the best of luck and hope they all get into a good situation. Like I said earlier, getting drafted is only the first step. There's so much more work to be done. It's all about being a professional athlete now, taking that next step in your life. It's just maturing to a level so that you can have the longest career possible. Whatever you do off the ice in terms of preparation for the on-ice work is going to a go a long way. I with them all the best and hopefully the Panthers select a few studs along the way.
