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+---- Thread: (2x) Food for Thought with Grape Fruit: Post SHL Draft Edition (/showthread.php?tid=110304)
(2x) Food for Thought with Grape Fruit: Post SHL Draft Edition - canes2112 - 09-15-2020
(2X draft media)
With the S56 SHL entry draft completed this Saturday, I would like to reflect a bit on the process leading up to the draft, as well as the outcome and future for myself. Unfortunately, I was not able to view the draft live so I did not get to see the stream at the time but I was thankful for my Kraken teammates for pinging me letting me know what happened. Overall, I have been really pleased with the entire draft process and I’m excited to give some thoughts from the perspective of someone new to the experience.
I’ll start with my journey to the SHL and how I actually ended up here. My first experience with the SHL actually came when I created an account in 2015 but never actually created a player. Not sure exactly what happened but I never got into the league. It wasn’t until a couple months ago where I saw a reddit post on r/hockey about the league with a few comments saying how much they enjoyed the league so I figured I would give it another shot. I actually created this account the day before the draft, not leaving myself much time to acclimate. Within a very short time of creating I got a message from @overdoo welcoming me to the site and introducing me to the Kraken. @FuzzSHL would reach out shortly after as another member of the Kraken and fellow Canes fan. It was really cool to have a couple of people notice me right off the bat with such a friendly approach. As it would turn out, only one other team would contact me prior to the draft and the Kraken ended up taking me.
Following the conclusion of my first season, I was eager to figure out where I would go in the draft. Even though I had collected almost all available TPE for the season, I was behind many rookies due to my late joining of the league. Additionally, as a new player, I did not have the reputation as some of the other players in the draft. I believe that there are a lot of recreates in this particular class. None of this really phased me as these factors were beyond my control and all I could really do was make my player the best they could be and show that I am dedicated.
One of the most enjoyable parts of the pre-draft process was being contacted by representatives from many of the SHL teams that were scouting me. I received my first message around 3 weeks before the draft, before it was even on my radar so I was excited to see that teams were being super proactive to properly scout the players and get the ones they want. In total, I had eleven teams contact me prior to the draft, including one who did not expect me to be there for their first pick of the draft. That was many more than I was expecting. Before talking to any of these teams I didn't really have a preference as to where I would end up. As many of you who contacted me learned, I was primarily focused on having a positive locker room environment with a good group of people who want to have a good time while trying to make the team the best it can be. I thoroughly enjoyed each conversation I had and I am glad to have at least made the connections even knowing only one team would draft me.
Another great aspect of the pre-draft process was the mock drafts. I spent far too much time going through those to see which teams each user had me going to. Through this research, I had gathered that most people had me valued in the mid 20s, which made a lot of sense to me considering my TPE level compared to my peers. I appreciate the couple of crazy users who thought I was worthy of a first round pick but I knew that was not happening. @teztify post in the SHL media was incredible and I appreciated his profile of myself. Reading pieces like that really paired well with the mock drafts to gauge my general perceived value around the league.
When it came down to the draft day, I was very excited. I was in a position where I did not truly know which teams would have me at the top of their list and had multiple landing spots. In a way, this was even more exciting than knowing exactly where I would go because of the suspense. Regardless, I knew I would be unable to watch the draft in its entirety so that only added to my anxiousness. When I was able to check my phone, I saw a lot of messages in the Kraken discord and a dm from my now (temporary?) double GM @sve7en saying welcome to the team. It feels like a huge vote of confidence when a GM decides to draft you for a second time. It was a special moment for sure and I’m happy to be a Panther!
After checking the full draft, @FlappyGiraffe going 1st overall was not a surprise at all. He was one of the top earners and was awesome in the locker room. Playing on his line this season was awesome and I know we’ve got some more good seasons for the Kraken coming up. I know @gordieboom may have had some troubles earlier in the season but I was also happy to see him not fall through the draft and going to the perfect team for him. His good mornings in the discord are always enjoyable to see. Finally, it was also great to see @LarryTheMVP join me in Los Angeles. Adding more familiarity is always nice and RART is poised to breakout in the next few seasons.
For the Panther’s draft class other than RART, I haven’t had much interaction. I won’t hold being on Newfoundland against @Festinator and hopefully he can bring some of the Berserker's success to LA when he arrives. I understand @Wasty has a history with the Panthers so it’s exciting to have him back in the fold. @GCool has some history in the SHL too and it’ll be nice to have that experience. Looking forward to getting to know @jakey.peach as well. Overall, this class can make some noise for sure in the near future for the Panthers.
It’s no secret that the Panthers have had some changes this offseason but I want to be clear that I am happy to be a part of this organization, even with the current uncertainty. Change is a part of any team and I am not discouraged by anything I have seen so far. Everyone I’ve interacted with has been great and I know, even if it takes some time, there will be a good direction in place that will lead to future success.
Growing up in Raleigh, it’s going to be an adjustment to move to LA when the time comes. I’ve never been a big city guy but I can’t imagine I’ll ever get bored in LA. It’s an adventure I can’t wait to embark on.
To all the teams that contacted me, I really appreciate the time you took to get to know me. Everyone I talked to was very friendly and I had some great conversations and got some very helpful advice. It’s always fun to meet new people and I wish you all the best of luck in the upcoming seasons.
For now, my focus returns to the Kraken. I know I will have to step up with the loss of some key players and I am excited for an expanded role. We’ve got a lot of work to do to reach the championship level we’re capable of and the new class can surely help us. I will continue to develop my setup man to hopefully compete with some of the best in the SMJHL.
The SHL draft was truly a fantastic experience for this new player and definitely an event to remember. Any recent SMJHL draftee should be excited for the process and look forward to joining an SHL team. Thanks for reading and if this generates some interest, perhaps food for thought with Grape Fruit can become a more frequent occurrence. In closing, I will leave you with a summary of everything written here:
i am groot.
RE: (2x) Food for Thought with Grape Fruit: Post SHL Draft Edition - FlappyGiraffe - 09-15-2020
Glad to hear you had a great experience with the whole process!
RE: (2x) Food for Thought with Grape Fruit: Post SHL Draft Edition - Festinator - 09-15-2020
RE: (2x) Food for Thought with Grape Fruit: Post SHL Draft Edition - hockeyiscool - 09-15-2020
RE: (2x) Food for Thought with Grape Fruit: Post SHL Draft Edition - overdoo - 09-15-2020
We are Groot
RE: (2x) Food for Thought with Grape Fruit: Post SHL Draft Edition - Samsung virtual assistant - 09-15-2020
Welcome to da team
