Joe: On the eve of the historic S42 SMJHL Rookie Entry Draft we're joined by a special guest: Rookie sensation and self proclaimed First Overall Draft pick Pavel Pivonka. Pavel, Welcome to Hockey Hookup.
Pivonka: Thanks, Joe. It's a pleasure to be here just hours before the SMJHL Rookie Entry Draft.
Joe: Tell us, Pavel, how are you feeling right now? Any butterflies or are you just enjoying the moment?
Pivonka: I'm really just trying to take it all in. I'm calm I mean this is the time of my life and I know where I'm going so I'm not nervous at all. I'm just really trying to meet as many of the other prospects as I can and meet each of the teams and of course the fans have been just wonderful. Its a lot of fun and I wish I could do it every year!
Joe: You said you know where you're going. Would you tell us where that is?
Pivonka: Well I'm not really supposed to tell anyone but its actually kind of funny I hadn't been hearing from any teams when I first declared for the Draft and so I had my manager reach out to some teams to find out why and I was pretty shocked when he told me that none of the teams were interested.
Joe: Nobody was interested in you? None of the teams? How can that be?
Pivonka: Yeah I know right? Crazy! So it turns out that all the teams have me listed as the number one pick so nobody bothered scouting me or talking to me because everyone knew I wasn't going to be available when they pick.
Joe: So you're going to be the top pick in Sunday night's Draft? That's what you've been told?
Pivonka: Yeah that's what they tell me. I mean we have a historic group of prospects that are wonderful but of course there can only be one top pick and I'm honored to represent the draft class with such a prestigous spot.
Joe: Now you recently went through a massive growth spurt and have added a lot of muscle to your frame. Do you attribute that growth to you're now going first overall?
Pivonka: Oh for sure. I think I was undersized for this League and I needed to add some grit to my game. I think teams saw my comittment to improving and realized that a big power forward was just what they were missing in their lineup.
Joe: And how exactly did you add all this size, grit and muscle in such a short time? What's your secret?
Pivonka: Well, besides hard work the secret is steroids. Look, I'm not going to hide it. I don't have to be clean until after the preseason and I will be but in the mean time I'm getting myself ready for the SMJHL and I'm not going to pass up an opprotunity to
better myself and become a more valuable player to my future team.
Joe: You know not every player would admit to such use of PEDs. Are you sure that's the best course of action for your career?
Pivonka: I think teams want to see honesty and dedication from a player and that's what I'm bringing along with size and skill. That's why I'm going first overall Sunday night.
Joe: You mention comittment. There have been extensive questions about your comittment. How do you answer those questions that you took a year off and aren't likely to stay in the SMJHL or even make it to the SHL?
Pivonka: I know there were some concerns but I think I've already put those to rest. I've done: Point Tasks, Media, Graphics, Training, and I'm active on Discord. I've already got millions in the bank and millions more on the way. I'm training my player and even adjusting it as needed such as the size and weight as well as my style of play. I think it all speaks to my plans for the future. I'm having fun and everyone's been wonderful to me. I have no plans to leave and will keep developing into a top line Power Forward. Teams that don't think I'll stick around can regret it when I'm playing against them.
Joe: Fair enough. So let's talk about your play style. Obviously you have a big frame and you're a Power Forward, so how would you describe your play style?
Pivonka: Yeah pretty simple. I'm going to play with a lot of grit and go out there to hit some bodies. I'm working on my shot and positioning but I think I'm a lot more than a grinder, I'm going to be a top line player in the SMJHL for sure. I can be a puck hog but I think that's a good thing. I'm going to hit the puck carrier and then drive the net and score - every shift that's the goal.
Joe: What do you think you'll work on during Team Training Camp?
Pivonka: Probably going to focus on my positioning and defense. I have a few areas of my game to work on but I think that's the first priority. After that I think my puck handling and my shot could use a small boost.
Joe: Is there any team you won't play for?
Pivonka: No. I don't have any issues with any team. I'm looking for playing time and of course a max contract so I can afford my training each week. Outside of that, an active team is always a good thing whether its a locker room or discord either one. But yeah, playing time is a must. I can't hit or score when I'm on the bench.
Joe: And how important is a winning contender to you?
Pivonka: Well obviously the ability to win is important in a competitive sport of this level. Good coaching and management is a must. I mean nobody wants to languish away on a bottom feeder.
Joe: Well that's all the time we have tonight. Thank you so much for being with us and good luck on Sunday night.
Pivonka: Thank you. It's been a pleasure and I'm excited to hear my name called. You only get drafted once, right?
Schultzy![[Image: mike-green-banana-bread.jpg]](https://i2.wp.com/russianmachineneverbreaks.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/mike-green-banana-bread.jpg)
![[Image: 0QGickG.png]](https://i.imgur.com/0QGickG.png)
