All of this for those 16 words.


“With the blank pick in the S43 SMJHL entry draft, the Blank Blanks select Adam Taylor.”


I’ve been training for this moment for years. All of the sprained ankles, missing teeth, saucer passes, buried one-timers, missed looks, penalties drawn, penalties taken. They all added up to this moment.

From the age of six, when I first stepped on the ice in that rarely-used ice-house in Odessa, Texas, to just last week where I left the largest Texas hockey tournament with the gold medal and a trophy in both hands.

I’ll never forget the moment when I scored my first goal. My skates were chopping up the ice beneath me. I thought I’d catch fire. The other team was my age, but it seemed like time slowed down. I weaved through the other team like an Olympic skier through flags. I caught the goalie staring at the puck, just as I broke past the last defender. I knew I had to do something special. High glove? Low blocker? That gaping five hole between the wickets? No.

Spin. O. Rama.

I dug my right skate in, and spun quickly to my left, moving the puck to my backhand as I did so. After about a quarter turn, I saw the goalie react and push across to stop it. He bit, and he bit way too hard.

I cancelled the move, stopping completely. I was staring at an open net when I brought the puck to my forehand and whipped it in to the wide-open mouth of the net.

My team screamed from the bench. My parents screamed from the stands. The whistle blew and the ref was pointing. I didn’t know what to do or how to celebrate, so I just skated back to the circle to get ready for the next faceoff. I ended the next shift with a lead pass to my center who was wide open, and he buried it just beneath the crossbar.

High school was another adventure for me. We moved to Dallas because it had a much larger hockey system than Odessa’s one rink and three teams. I made the varsity team before I exited middle school. I was the smallest on the team, but the fastest skater in the entire city, and my skills were matched by almost no one. That’s when my first real injury occurred. Mickey Bronson and I, the only kid who came close to my skill level, were fighting for position as we headed toward the puck in the corner. Hadn’t really slowed down all that much in an effort to reach the puck first. Our sticks got tangled, and then our legs. I toe picked, then was pulled backwards by Mickey, falling down, my heel touching my ass, and my leg exploding in pain.

He swears to this day that he didn’t mean to do it, but he knew exactly what he was doing. Last I heard he was headed over to Russia to play in the SKHL, best of luck to him, I say.

Six pulled groins, three sprained ankles, sixty four stitches, one titanium pin, one sprained wrist, and one torn calf-muscle later, here I am, on draft day for the SMJHL.

Anchorage would be great. Escape the Texas heat and make a name for myself in a new hockey market. The city would rally around us, and we’d all work extremely hard to keep that energy high. A new team in a new city just breeds excitement from everyone. It’d be a lot like that movie, Mystery Alaska, where the guy from Smokey and the Bandit coaches a ragtag team of nobodies against the New York Rangers. Except we’d be getting paid. And we’d have to play more than one game against good opponents.

Colorado sounds fantastic as well. Plenty of hockey culture already installed in the people there, and the energy from the crowd would help me work through the mile-high-oxygen adjustment. Plus, the Raptors have what is probably the best branding in the SMJHL. What kid wouldn’t want to cheer for a team whose mascot is a dinosaur?

Detroit is a city in decline. The jobs are gone, the money has left, but the Falcons remain. Some would say that they’re the city’s last hope. If there’s one team whose city bleeds their team’s colors, it’s Detroit. They’ve got a fantastic system set up there, and I’d love nothing more than to experience that from the inside.
Halifax has long been my favorite Canadian city. All of the hype and support of a major city, with none of the large city hustle and bustle. The media there is much more forgiving than places like Vancouver or Montreal. Plus I wouldn’t have to learn French.

Kelowna is another one of those large but small Canadian cities. What the Knights have going on there is definitely a great culture. Anyone whose name gets called by Kelowna is definitely getting one of the top tier systems in the SMJHL. I’d be honored if they called my name on draft day.

Nothing speaks hockey and tradition like the city of Montreal. The Militia would be a great landing spot for any prospect. I wouldn’t be able to walk down the street without giving autographs or being heckled, depending on how the season was going. The media here are brutal, and the fans even more so. But when the team is clicking, and the win column is filling up, this is the greatest city on earth.
St. Louis. The gateway to the west. The leagues southernmost team. I’d only be a few hours from home. My parents would even be able to come watch me play from time to time. It would be exciting to hear my name called by the Scarecrows. It’s a non-traditional market, and the fans and media don’t shout “supportive”, but there’ll always be that one guy on twitter.

Lastly, Vancouver. Losers of the alphabetical lottery. The rising housing prices don’t leave much wiggle room for hockey tickets, but everyone still seems to love the team. The Whalers have the best logo in the league. Something about whale tails just makes sense to me.

In all honesty, I just want to have my name called by a team I can make an impact on. No matter where I land, I know I’ll have teammates and management that will help me to become the best player I can. I’ll end up on a team that will push me to reach my goal of leading the SMJHL in assists as a sophomore.

To all of my fellow prospects: Tonight’s the night. Everything we’ve worked for pays off tonight. Every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears we’ve put into this sport we love so much is redeemed tonight. When you hear your name called and walk out on that stage, look out and see the faces of your draft class. We’re all in this together, and for the next several seasons, we’ll be playing with and against each other. We’ll be putting it all out there on the ice, just like we have since we were kids. We know the struggle. We know the dedication.

Now let’s get out there and do the damn thing.
-Adam Taylor

(WC:1215, 2x draft media)