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hhh81 · 10-26-2018, 12:08 PM

A sit down interview with Cassius Darrow, the top drafted first generation SMJHL defenseman in S44

Harry Hemmert

The Athletic: Denver

Denver, CO

German defender, relentless competitor, technology laggard, first round draft pick.

These are a few words that describe Colorado Raptors defenseman, Cassius Darrow. A relative unknown to North American hockey fans just a few weeks ago, Darrow took the league by storm in the week leading up to the S44 Simulation Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft Thursday night. This culminated with the Raptors using their third first-round pick, 8th overall, to select the German rearguard.

“We are very happy that Cassius was the first European defender drafted,” Johnny Hamilton, Darrow’s agent, said when asked for comment. “He has worked very hard and spent a lot of time meeting with and working out for teams. We had a soft promise that another team would draft him early in the second round, but Colorado took their shot earlier.”

Darrow was consistently ranked as the #2 European defenseman in the class, as well as within the top 3-4 first generation players and the near consensus fourth overall defender in the class, behind Anchorage’s Leopold Lockhart (2nd overall), Halifax’s Dominic Montgomery (5th overall), and Kelowna’s Sanyi Kocsis (10th overall).

“We were ecstatic to draft Cassius at 8th overall,” Raptors co-GM Good Ole Kimmy said. “We almost waited for 13th, but knew we needed a defenseman. He shot up the rankings after his interviews and on-ice workouts. It was a no brainer for us.”

It was fortunate they didn’t wait. Darrow’s selection at #8 was the first of five straight defensemen picked between the late first and early second rounds. Nine of the 20 picks in the draft were used on defensemen.

I was able to sit down with Darrow this morning for his first interview as a Colorado Raptor.

HH: Congrats on being a Colorado Raptor! How do you feel about Denver?

CD: Thank you. It’s very exciting. I’m a little tired—we flew in early this morning so I could meet with the team and sign my contract.

HH: Your agent mentioned on your Twitter that all but two teams had contacted you yesterday and you had a good idea where you’d be going. Was eighth overall what you were expecting?

CD: What is Twitter?

HH: Um… it’s a social media platform. Are you saying you didn’t know your agent made @cassiusdarrow81 for you?

CD: Oh. I don’t worry about those things. Mr. Hamilton said it was important, so he did it. I focus on hockey and ignore computer things.

HH: I see. I did notice you still have a flip phone. Do you plan to get into this century now that you have signed a big contract?

CD: No. My family keeps telling me I need a new phone, but this works fine. I don’t need fancy face chat calls. Just regular is good to hear the voices.

HH: Back on the draft. Were you expecting to go in the first round?

CD: No, Mr. Hemmert. I knew Denver was interested in drafting me, but I expected to go into the second round. This is a very deep draft. I spoke with almost every team before the draft, and Colorado’s management stood out for the vision for the role I could play on their team. It is also good to play with great players like my fellow countryman, Alexander Selich.

HH: Is Colorado where you hoped to play SMJHL hockey?

CD: I want to play with good players. I want to win. They were one of the teams I really wanted to go to after interviews. I’m happy to meet their other players, and that there are so many other good young players they drafted. I’m going to have to work hard to earn ice time.

HH: Care to reveal the other teams?

CD: Haha, no.

HH: Please? Your agent revealed another team promised to draft you early in the second and viewed you as a cornerstone.

CD: I won’t say the team, but that did happen. The team asked me a lot of questions about who else I liked in the draft class. My agent told me they would be my floor and were considering drafting other players who would complement me. I found that very humbling for a contender to think that highly of me.

HH: Well, thank you for that. I must ask about the recent stress the Raptors management are facing. What comments do you have on the recent frenzy around Gareth Rush?

CD: *sigh* It’s disappointing. I was impressed when Alaska and Kimmy were able to grab him at #13. He’s a very good offensive player and could help our team as our class grows together to be dominant force in the league. But it looks like no, he won’t play with us.

HH: Did you interact with Gareth during the draft process at all?

CD: No. We were at the Colorado facilities for workouts around the same time, but I kept to myself. Focused on doing my best on the ice.

HH: What about Rush and his agent’s comments about you being a first round pick?

CD: I’m honored to be the top selected first-generation [defenseman] in this draft. I worked hard and let my play speak for itself. I didn’t expect to be in the first round, but we knew there was a chance I’d go at 8th. It’s very exciting.

HH: But what about the comments on SHL Live?

CD: I spent my morning on planes and then meeting with Raptors’ management. I did not see them. My agent mentioned something, but that’s not my worry. I’m looking toward training camp now and meeting my teammates.

HH: How are you approaching training camp?

CD: Alaska and Kimmy gave me some good feedback this morning about areas of my game I can work on. I definitely want to get stronger. I’ll spend time in the gym with their conditioning staff, then spend time watching tape and working on my awareness in my own end. Colorado has some really good offensive players and strong defensive players, but no defender like me who does both.

HH: Do you think you can play big minutes this year?

CD: I hope so. I was the only defenseman Colorado picked. I’ve worked hard on my conditioning, and I can play big minutes when given the chance.

HH: Who are you looking most forward to playing with?

CD: It will be very good to play with Xander [Selich]. I think I’ve played against him once, and he checked me in the corner then scored a goal against us. I also look forward to meeting the other defenders and see who I might play well with. Nico Wallner is playing for Team Germany/Austria in the [World Junior Championships]. He plays left and I like the right. He’s also looks small on the screen, but he’s very good jumping in on the attack. I think we’d be good together.

HH: Some scouts have questioned your shooting ability, saying they don’t think you can be a threat on the powerplay. Others, like Denver’s own scouts, revealed they think you have a sneaky hidden offensive game. Who has it right?

CD: In Germany, my team was less concerned about me shooting. Other teams were bigger than us, so we were busy in our own zone. I worked to be a good passer. Now I have money for better equipment, which is helping me improve my shooting. I can play in extra man situations, and would like to see an all S44 draft class powerplay. Jakub [Novak] and Xander have great shots, Voloshin can do it all, and Zidek and I can feed them pucks. I think we’ll score a lot of goals together. But my first goal is to be a well-rounded player and earn my ice time.

HH: Thank you for your time and good luck this year!

CD: Thanks Henry Hemmert.

*A previous version of this article listed Darrow as the top first gen player taken. That was Mika Mayfield. It has been updated to fix that mistake.

Quote:Word Count: 1358 for that sweet 2x bonus

StamkosFan · 10-26-2018, 02:01 PM

Great article, I love your professionalism Smile

just one side note: Mayfield was the top drafted first gen, you were #2

ml002 · 10-26-2018, 02:04 PM

10-26-2018, 02:01 PMStamkosFan Wrote: Great article, I love your professionalism just one side note: Mayfield was the top drafted first gen, you were #2

Boat gang

Credit to Copenhagen, Wasty, FlappyGiraffe, InciteHysteria, and caltroit_red_flames
[Image: MM4nqx6.png]

hhh81 · 10-26-2018, 02:13 PM

10-26-2018, 02:01 PMStamkosFan Wrote: Great article, I love your professionalism just one side note: Mayfield was the top drafted first gen, you were #2

Whoops! Mayfield's status got lost in the sauce that was the craziness in round 2. We will contact Mr. Hemmert about changing his statement

*Good_Ole_Kimmy* · 10-26-2018, 02:33 PM

10-26-2018, 02:04 PMml002 Wrote:
10-26-2018, 02:01 PMStamkosFan Wrote: Great article, I love your professionalism just one side note: Mayfield was the top drafted first gen, you were #2

Boat gang

boat gang stinks
(this comment was made by dinosaur gang Raptors

)

Ferdy · 10-26-2018, 02:34 PM

Congratulations on the draft and on the professionalism, dude. Smile

Look forward to playing against you.

ml002 · 10-26-2018, 02:36 PM

10-26-2018, 02:33 PMGood_Ole_Kimmy Wrote:
10-26-2018, 02:04 PMml002 Wrote: Boat gang

boat gang stinks
(this comment was made by dinosaur gang )

tfw dinosaurs include t-rexes generally :zoomeyes:

Credit to Copenhagen, Wasty, FlappyGiraffe, InciteHysteria, and caltroit_red_flames
[Image: MM4nqx6.png]

SlashACM · 10-26-2018, 02:40 PM

10-26-2018, 02:33 PMGood_Ole_Kimmy Wrote:
10-26-2018, 02:04 PMml002 Wrote: Boat gang

boat gang stinks
(this comment was made by dinosaur gang )

Hay gang

*Good_Ole_Kimmy* · 10-26-2018, 02:44 PM

10-26-2018, 02:36 PMml002 Wrote:
10-26-2018, 02:33 PMGood_Ole_Kimmy Wrote: boat gang stinks
(this comment was made by dinosaur gang )

tfw dinosaurs include t-rexes generally :zoomeyes:

sorry we traded our t-rex...

Symmetrik · 10-26-2018, 02:52 PM

10-26-2018, 02:33 PMGood_Ole_Kimmy Wrote:
10-26-2018, 02:04 PMml002 Wrote: Boat gang

boat gang stinks
(this comment was made by dinosaur gang )

you guys got nothing on the fire gang

InciteHysteria · 10-26-2018, 02:56 PM

10-26-2018, 02:52 PMSymmetrik Wrote:
10-26-2018, 02:33 PMGood_Ole_Kimmy Wrote: boat gang stinks
(this comment was made by dinosaur gang )

you guys got nothing on the fire gang

Wouldn't it be fire nation?

***JKortesi81*** · 10-26-2018, 04:07 PM

Great article man. You were so incredibly high on the STL draft board.

It’s a great thing COL didn’t wait until pick 13, for them, because you’d have been pick 9.

Keep up the awesome work!

hhh81 · 10-26-2018, 05:22 PM

10-26-2018, 04:07 PMJKortesi81 Wrote: Great article man. You were so incredibly high on the STL draft board.

It’s a great thing COL didn’t wait until pick 13, for them, because you’d have been pick 9.

Keep up the awesome work!

Thanks! Best of luck

hhh81 · 05-09-2019, 05:25 PM

10-26-2018, 04:07 PMJKortesi81 Wrote: Great article man. You were so incredibly high on the STL draft board.

It’s a great thing COL didn’t wait until pick 13, for them, because you’d have been pick 9.

Keep up the awesome work!

I feel like this is one of those random occurrences someone down the road should turn into a "What If?" alternate history media piece. @39alaska39 @Tomen @WannabeFinn

"What if Cassius Darrow was a Crow?"

***ProjectSaint*** · 05-10-2019, 09:20 PM

05-09-2019, 05:25 PMhhh81 Wrote:
10-26-2018, 04:07 PMJKortesi81 Wrote: Great article man. You were so incredibly high on the STL draft board.

It’s a great thing COL didn’t wait until pick 13, for them, because you’d have been pick 9.

Keep up the awesome work!

I feel like this is one of those random occurrences someone down the road should turn into a "What If?" alternate history media piece. @39alaska39 @Tomen @WannabeFinn

"What if Cassius Darrow was a Crow?"

Two words: CAW CAW

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