06-14-2021, 05:50 PMdirigiblejones Wrote: The SMJHL Tribune
Exclusive Interview with Carolina Kraken Draftee Ellis Lee by Foghorn Fitzsimmons

In the second round with the 21st overall pick, the Carolina Kraken selected Ellis Lee. The youthful left winger from Vancouver projects to be a physical, goal scoring winger. Lee's 6'6, 245 pound frame is a major asset to his game as he utilizes his size and power both on the offensive and defensive side of the puck. Of course, he'll need to continue to develop his strength and his puck skills to be successful at the SMJHL level.

We were lucky enough to snag a short interview with Ellis, which has been transcribed below.

Foghorn:
Congratulations on being drafted by the Carolina Kraken. What was your reaction when you first heard you were drafted by Carolina?

Ellis:
I basically jumped out of my seat. Honestly I was stoked to be drafted at all, especially in the second round by such a storied franchise. So yeah, I'm pretty excited to be playing for Carolina.

Foghorn:
Ever been to Carolina before? Any thoughts on the location?

Ellis:
No, I've never left BC before. I hear Carolina BBQ is something special so I'm excited to get my mitts on some ribs. Plus I've been told the fans are great there.

Foghorn:
What can you tell the Kraken fans about your game and how you play?

Ellis:
Well, I love to hit people and I love to score goals. But above all else I love winning. So as much as I'd like to be the guy to score a hatty and demolish somebody into the boards, I'm doing whatever it takes to win. If I gotta block a shot, take a hit, backcheck like my life depends on it - whatever. As long as it gets my team the W I'll do it.

Foghorn:
What kind of players do you mold your game after?

Ellis:
I look up to players like Ryan O'Reilly/Brendan Gallagher/Wayne Simmonds in terms of their competitiveness and grit. Of course over time, I'd like to become the kind of superstar who is known for their goal scoring and physical play like Ovi or Eric Lindros. But I don't ever want to lose that intensity or drive to compete.

Foghorn:
What kind of impact would you like to make on your team as a rookie?

Ellis:
With my teammates, I wanna be known as a guy who is great in the room and a good leader too. I'm somebody who likes to have fun and keep it positive so I wanna make that impression. I want to help us get to the playoffs and win the Four Star Cup. If you're not aiming for the top, what's the point? In terms of the hockey side of things - whatever the coaches need me to do, I'll do. Obviously I wanna make an impact on the scoresheet, but fuck it, if they need me to play EBUG I'll do it.

Foghorn:
You're really not supposed to swear in these interviews.

Ellis:
Fuck, my bad.

The interview ended here as Ellis alternately cursed and apologized for several minutes. The SD card ran out of memory before the interview could continue.

The Kraken are looking to Ellis Lee to continue to develop and become an important piece to their forward core. If he continues his development and strong play that he's shown at the BC Junior level, then he could help realize the championship goals of the Carolina Kraken. He'll need to work on his defensive play to become a well-rounded and effective player at the SMJHL level but his natural skill and strength forms a strong basis to build on.

06-14-2021, 10:12 PMBenpachi Wrote: Great article! Very fun read. We're very excited to have you, welcome to Carolina!