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Ason94 · 02-15-2019, 05:36 PM

Pre Shl s46 entry draft interview with

Knute Knurtsson.

Q: Season 45 in the SMJHL has now passed, we have crowned a Champion in St. Louis Scarecrows and we are moving on towards the draft to SHL. Please reflect on your season as a rookie in the SMJHL.

A: First of all i want to congratulate the St. Louis Scarecrows on a terrific season and a great playoff run. It is no small feat to win a Championship back to back. Great effort from both players and management. I believe that I have had a great season if i may say so myself. I think I surprised alot of people coming in as an unknown, and I feel like I'm still flying abit under the radar. Getting the chanse to play for a great team in Colorado sure has helped me alot in my development. Our General manager Al Aska has always been available when I've had questions and has helped me alot in my development over the season. At the end of the season I surely felt that I had improved my game as to where i started early in the season. Having the coaches believe in my ability has also been a big factor for me to working as hard as i can for this team.

Q: In the SMJHL entey draft of season 45 you were passed on multiple times, do you think this will happen again, with you going on a free fall?

A: Well in the SMJHL draft I had no expectation of going early or even jn the middle, I knew I was pretty much a shot in the dark for what ever team would picke me. This time around though I beleve the General managers have a better feel for all the players. Even though it's a really big draft class. I would never say that I would fall, every team has their view and opinion on all the different players and I will get picked where I deserve to get picked. I've been told though that I could get picked anywhere from late first round to somwhere in the third. Which could be said about almost the whole draft class.

Q: You are up for the S46 SHL entry draft, how are you feeling, nervous, confident, anxious about where you will get drafted?

A: That is a great question. Ofcourse i feel alittle nervous, I mean this will most likely decide where i will live for what I hope will be the rest of my career. Will i live close to the beach in Tampa Bay or Los Angels, will I live close to nature and amazing cold weather In Calgary or Edmonton. There are so many places and they are so different. I do however feel very confident in myself and my ability as a hockey player. I have full confidence that I can evolve and progress to be a core member of a SHL franchise. I know myself and I know my work ethic.

Q: This draft class Is full of talent, is there anyone in particular you would like to get drafted with?

A: Well here are the guys on Colorado ofcourse. Nick Brain, he is a dedicated and hard working guy, I believe he will go in the first round for sure and i would not be surprised if the goes in the early to middle. Michael Scarn has all the tools to become a Elite center, kind of a quiet guy but I like him and i think he has a good chance of going in the first round. Vandy could turn out to be a steal in this draft, I'm not sure at all where he will end up going in the draft and I think he is kind of an unknown to anyone outside of Colorado. Then we also have Anastasia O'koivu, she has a good shot at going first over all, that's pretty exciting. We have so many great rookies in Colorado. All the smebs I think will go in the second round, not sure of the order though. Outside of Colorado I would like to maybe play with Kit Smeb, then i have played with all the Smebs and I rhink we could make up 2/3 of a good line and to make it 3/3 I wouldn't mind playing with Gordie Boomhover, a fellow German. Matt Kholin would also be cool to play with, never talked to him but I think he's a great player and we could make for a great future 1C/2C combo. As for Defensemen, I have heard alot of good things about Perry Morgan so it would probably be great sharing a locker room with him. I also would love to play with Brennan Kennedy Jr. I guess there is a lot of people i would like to play with, and hopefully one day I will. We will just have to wait and see how the draft goes.

Q: Has any SHL teams contacted you? If yes, what did they want to know?

A: Yes there has been a few team that has "shown interest" in me. They all have been pretty vague about if they are seriously considerig drafting me or if they just want to check in and say hello. Honestly when i think about it they mostlt just talked not that many specific questions.

Q: Could you tell us what teams have contacted you? What do you think of those teams?

A: Well first of I got a message from Seattle, this was even befor they moved to Tampa Bay. I answered some questions they sent, but I haven't heard from the since then. I don't know anything about the team really so it's hard to to say anything. Would love to know more though.

I was then contacted by Manhattan Rage, this was my first real contact with a SHL team. General manager Jay semes lika a great guy and I recognize some players from Colorado on this team so it would sure be nice to get drafted there, Unfortunately I don't think thst will happen in regards to the Rage having a early first round pick and then their next pick is in the third. You never know, as i said earlier, I heard I could go anywhere from late first to third so it is really a toss up where i will get drafted. Manhattan seems to have a bright future and they are one of the top teams on where I would like to go.

Buffalo has been in contact also, I like Tomen he's nice. Again there are some Colorado guys on this roster as well as Mr. Passamus which would be cool to play with. I could see there being a realistic chans that I end up in Buffalo since they have so many picks in this draft. It would also be great to get to play with many season 46 draftees. There are many teams i like in the SHL and Buffalo sure is one of them.

Wuma reached out from the Minnesota Chiefs, really nice guy which I enjoy talking to, I don't know anyone there and i don't know if they really are In need of a center, they already have Nickolas Klaus, Derek Bohne and Dean Colt III in the system. But you never know and I have a good feeling about the Chiefs.

SFP Grapehead sent a message, it was very nice, explaining about the team and what the future looks like. And I buy in I'm on the train, if everything goes as planned this looks like a great team and organization. I think I could spend my career here, if the want me. They have pick number 17 in the draft so if they like me they sure could get me, but in a draft class as stacked as this one there might be options that are considered "better".

I also have had really nice talks with Vbottas from the LA Panthers, a great guy, and I would love to play in LA. Unfortunately for me the Panthers pick is early in the first so there is very little to no chanse I will end up there.

I was just recently contacted by a member in Chicago, not had any direct contact yet but I do feel that it would be really cool to be apart of a brand new franchise.

Q: You seem to like everyone and want to play on every team. Why is that?

A: Ye well they all seem like great people and I would love to play for all the teams, but in the end I will only play for one.

Q: Getting drafted in go the SHL is a great accomplishment in it self but what are some things you look to accomplish as a player both on the ice and in the Locker room?

A: It for sure is an accomplishment to get drafted, but that does not ensure you a spot on the team, you still have to work hard to get on the roster and earn your playing time. Just beacus you get drafted doesn't mean you can relax and everyting will sort it self out. It means that a team believes in you and they have taken a gambel. I want to prove to them that the gambel they take on me is the right one. I will work hard all the time to help the team in any way possible. It's after the draft the real work begins to get a spot on the big club. So my goal, what i want to accomplish, is to show the management that i was the right choise. In the Locker room I just want to get to know the guys. See what the team is about and just be a friendly guy.

Q: This is a large draft class and some teams have a lot of picks. There has been talks about how teams might not have the cap space to give fair contracts to all the players they draft. What are your thoughts on that?

A: You know, money is always nice and it sure helps, but in the end I just want to play hockey. I'm not a guy that has to have all the latest things and multiple nice cars and such. I belive i can manage on a lower contract so it's not really a concern for me.

Q: You have played center your entire career, is it important for you to be a center?

A: That is not true, Before I came over to Colorado I played the role of Forward, I'm not set in stone, I can play right wing or left wing just as i can play center. It just so happens that i prefer to play the center role but I would call myself a forward and The Raptors needed a center so I got to play center.

Q: How would you feel getting drafted to one of the expansion teams where it might be a forward spot open come next season?

A: the thought of it is exciting, being a true rookie in the SHL, but at the same time I love Colorado. I would really like to help Colorado as much as I can and for as long as possibe. Al Aska took a gambel at me and I want to pay him back for giving me the opportunity to come and play in the SMJHL. So It would be a tough decision that I would have to think hard about and discuss with sartain people.

Q: Going to a contender or a rebuilder, what would you prefer?

A: Any team, I don't care honestly. If it's a contender, chanses are that they will win a cup before I'm on the roster. Meaning they might go in to a rebuild or retool when its time for me to join the big club. I'm fine with helping a team through a rebuild and I think it can be fun as long as you have great people surrounding the team. If I were to go to a rebuilder chanses are I might come up just as a new dynasy is beginning which would be cool to be apart of.

Q: How do you feel about the teams that has not contacted you yet?

A: I don't know how to answer this question. I don't "feel" anything towards them. I would be glad to talk to them for sure I like talking to different teams since I don't know much about the SHL. It's a huge draft class and General Managers are busy. They probably can't talk to everyone

No more quest for Knute Knurtsson for now, I think we covered almost everything. We will be back after the draft with hopefully even longer questions and massive answers.

Word count: 2234 2x draft media still not a native speaker, sorry