Fifty-sixth overall.  I repeated that to myself many times after I heard my named called last night during the season 42 SMJHL Entry Draft, but I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's because at the time I couldn't really grasp what that meant to me and what was accompanied by that.  Maybe it was because so many emotions were flooding my body and my mind that my receptors couldn't sort them out in any kind of meaningful way. Or maybe it was the fact that nearly seven complete rounds had come and gone and my name hadn't been called yet.  Maybe too it was a bit of my own fault that I was drafted so low.  Maybe I didn't do enough to differentiate myself from the other prospects or maybe I gave bad answers when I was talking with some of the teams before the draft.  

It's ok though, for the most part I've been overlooked at just about every stop of the way in my hockey journey.  Growing up most people thought I'd choose to play either basketball or rugby, but my dad was a huge hockey fan and in turn so was I and it was the sport that grabbed me the most.  When my dad entered me in leagues to play, coaches just saw a somewhat bigger kid than most the others and wanted to stick me in the goal.  I had to fight to be able to get out and skate on the ice in another position, but eventually when they saw me they gave in.  Because everyone always had a different idea as to the kind of player I should be and where I should be playing, I always had to work harder than the next guy.  I had to prove not only to myself, but to everyone else that not only did I belong, but I also deserved to play the position I wanted to play.  Over the years this definitely built up a bit of a chip on my shoulder as they say and kind of always became my driving force.  Maybe it's the reason that I became good enough to now be in position to be drafted into the SMJHL.

The draft process itself was a bit of an odd experience.  I was contacted by multiple teams and had some really good conversations with a few of them.  A couple even flew me out to have some individual private workouts.  When it was all said and done though, the thing that kind of surprises me now though is the fact that Vancouver never once contacted me, not even just to say hello or good luck in the draft.  I had no idea they were even remotely interested in taking me until my name was called.  Also on a relevant note, I had an equally weird draft day experience.  As I was at home with friends and family anxiously awaiting the calling of my name to see where I'd be playing next season, I got a text message from the St. Louis Scarecrows general manager that was simply just a hand waving emoji.  I honestly didn't know what this meant.  I mean we had a pretty good conversation in the days leading up to the draft and this text message came just before the 39th pick was to be announced, so honestly I thought that they were going to select me.  That didn't happen.  Then they also didn't take me with any of their three sixth round picks.  I am still pretty confused by that.

Anyways, I don't really have any animosity or negative feelings though when I had finally been chosen in the draft though.  There were ninety-four other players who had entered the draft and after it was all said and done fourteen of them weren't chosen at all.  So I could sit here and be upset that I was chosen only after fifty-three others were chosen, or I can be grateful that I was chosen at all as there were fourteen players who didn't even get the chance to have their name called.  

For now though all I can focus on is the future.  It doesn't matter that I was drafted 56th overall, because the only thing that matters is that I'm in Vancouver and focused on doing the best I can there.  I did jokingly say I wanted to wear number 56 though for this season at least, but not really for myself, more for the other teams that had so many chances to draft me and now get to see that number fly by during each game.  I guess maybe it would be a little bit for myself as well as it would be something to keep me even more grounded and focused, but at the end of the day I'm already pretty focused.  For now I'm going to go to Vancouver and just try to be the best teammate I can and work as hard as I've always worked.  I know I'm not coming in to be a started, but over time working with my coaches and my team I hope one day that I will be able to be a key piece to a Whalers team that does good things, which in turn I hope helps steer me in a direction that will get me to the next level.  When that time comes I am convinced that I will not be a 7th rounder, that I will not be drafted after 53 other people, but instead will be someone that one of the big SHL teams will see as someone they cannot pass up on.

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2x bonus multiplier. Also I hate writing

Make those GM's regret their choice!