Here we are, separated just a few days from the end of the S35 SMJHL Draft and the beginning of the SMJHL Preseason. It's that time of year where lockerrooms are flowing with chatter, new teammates getting to know each other, coaches sitting down to situate lines, and GMs unwinding from one of the most stressful parts of their jobs. For our report today, we sat down with the GMs and their first round picks to catch up after the draft.
First up is Isak Odengard of the Vancouver Whalers
Quote:[b]SS Isak, thank you for taking the time to sit down with me today. You were the first overall pick! Congratulations, first off. How does it feel? Were you expecting it?
IO Thank you! It feels amazing, I still can't believe this is real life and not a dream. I was hoping, of course, but I don't know if I ever really believed it would happen until I heard my name called.
SS Which one of your teammates reached out to you first after being drafted?
IO Well, the first person I heard from was actually Spitfire. His agent and mine have worked together before, so we'd met each other, and he reached out to congratulate me and let me know the paperwork had been taken care. Next was Robert Phelps, who reached out to show me the way to where the rest of the team was gathered, and everyone was super friendly and welcoming.
SS Did the GM tell you they were taking you with the first pick? How did you find out about it?
IO The Whalers General Manager, Adam Kaiser, reached out to me a little over a week before the draft to hear my thoughts on their team and ask me a few questions, and all of our interactions were quite positive. He was realistic about the fact that anything can happen leading up to the draft and so he couldn't absolutely confirm anything, but let me know that they definitely had their eye on me and that the most likely course of action was that they'd be keeping the first overall pick and taking me there. As I said above, I didn't go into the draft assuming anything, but I may have picked my tie color to match the Vancouver jerseys just in case.
SS What are you looking forward to the most this upcoming season?
IO Finally getting a chance to prove myself on North American ice, and seeing how I match up against the best young skaters in the world! The Whalers also have a really strong core of players, both the veterans and the new draftees, and I think we have a really good chance of going far - I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do![/b]
We look forward to great things from Isak in the coming weeks.
We met with Adam Kaiser, the GM that picked Isak first overall, to ask some questions about the draft experience.
Quote:[b]SS Your first pick was Odegard. How excited are you to see them out there with your jersey on?
AK We had been targeting Odegard for some time and it was a great feeling to have everything start to come together and see him don the Whalers blue and green
SS Do you think you have the pieces needed now to make a run at the Cup?
AK I 100% believe that we have the pieces needed to make a deep draft run and honestly I think we have the potential to be a championship team this season. Anything less would be considered a disappointment to me. We had a strong draft in S34 and all those players are returning for a second season in the SMJHL, add on some more top prospects and a few with tons of potential and I think it all adds up to what could be a very special season.
SS Who do you think was the most surprising pick in the draft?
AK Matthew Rossi falling to us in the third round was a huge surprise to us in Vancouver. He has family ties to the Whalers and his pedigree is second to none.
SS Who are you most looking forward to seeing out there this season?
AK I can't wait to see what Isak Odegard can do on our back end. He was very highly touted coming into the draft and we have no reason not to expect big things from him and the rest of the Whalers this season![/b]
The whole organization is energized, and it all seems centered around young Isak. Hopefully he can deliver under all of this pressure.
Next we stopped to talk to Lukas Müller, first round draft pick of the Halifax Raiders.
Quote:[b]SS Thank you for your time this morning, Lukas, great to have you here. You went second overall! That's a great accomplishment. Were you surprised?
LM Very much so. I think we all come into this with an idea of where we're going to go, but with so many pedigree players these days, it's hard sometimes to pick correctly. Like, I figured Lui Koller would be going back to the Militia, since she played there last season during the playoffs, but all of the rest of us, it was hard to tell. I was delighted to hear my name called. Bozz and Matthew are great managers and they did well letting me know how much focus they had on me as a player. I can't thank them enough.
SS Who from the lockerroom reached out to you first?
LM It was actually an alumni, Pietra Volkova. It's great to see so many former players still rally around the team. It really lends a lot to the culture of the Raiders.
SS Did the GM let you know they were taking you with the second pick? How did you find out?
LM No, not at all. Bozzz let me know that the Raiders were interested, but I had similar messages from the GMs of Colorado and St. Louis. I knew with that much competition and Colorado's fear that I wouldn't drop to 28th so they could take me again, that I should expect to go at least before then. I was so shocked when I heard them call me second. I found out about it at the same time everyone else did. Man, what a feeling.
SS What's got you most excited about this upcoming season?
LM Oh man, I've got so many great teammates this season. We're going to have tons of fun. We've got one guy in the locker room who just runs around shouting "JUST GONNA SEND IT". Some of the guys I made friends with at the Prospect Showcase are in the locker room. Guys like Cody Fletcher, Bar Downski, and Chuck Bernstein are all on units out in front of me, and I've got a veteran Goalie behind me. I think it's going to be a great season, and I can't wait to get out there to challenge for the Four Star Cup![/b]
Lukas' co-GM Bozzz was equally excited for the opportunity to speak about the outcome of the draft. Her'es what she had to say.
Quote:[b]SS Your first pick was Lukas Müller. How excited are you to see them out there with your jersey on?
Bozzz I had to buy myself an entire box of Dry Care Max Adult Dipers because I couldn't contain my excitement. Shame is nothing in the face of what Müller can bring to the table here in Halifax.
SS Do you feel you're close to making a run for the Four Star Cup?
Bozzz Absolutely -- our defensive holes are getting filled in nicely, with Grogan coming up and Müller as our first rounder, finally able to give the veteran Kapperkanen some help, and our offense is having fresh life breathed into it; there are already quite a few pure goal scorers whose movement on the ice harkens back to the Laing-era of Halifax hockey so recently departed.
SS Who do you think was the most surprising pick in the draft?
Bozzz That Koller and Müller both went so high speaks very highly of the less established elements in this draft, but I think that Vijanupatan Singh sinking to the 3rd round means Detroit got a phenominal steal.
SS Who are you most looking forward to seeing out there this season?
Bozzz The other coaches, especially their faces of shock and outrage, when they wind up getting their asses handed to them by a team they've been conveniently able to write off for the last four months.[/b]
Her humorous responses and the joy in her voice show this reporter how quickly the outlook has turned around in Halifax after this draft. The feeling in the lockerroom reflects this as well. I'll be putting Halifax in my playoff predictions this season for sure.
Next we headed over to talk to Coloardo Top Pick Casey Creller.
Quote:[b]SS Congratulations, Casey, on going third overall! How does it feel? Were you expecting it?
CC It feels pretty good, definitely hard to complain about 3rd Overall in a draft this size. Anything can happen in a draft and you can drop fairly quickly, I had a feeling I was going early though.
SS Who from your new locker room reached out to you first?
CC Both of the GMs were fairly quick to welcome all of the rookies to the team. Definitely a warm atmosphere, and the players who were drafted here definitely lucked out. It should be an awesome season for the Mammoths!
SS Did you have any idea you were going to be drafted as high as you were?
CC I was told by a couple GMs they wanted me with their first round picks. Colorado seemed to be the highest one I heard from. Of course anything can happen in the draft so nothing was for sure.
SS What are you looking forward to the most this season?
CC Watching the rookies develop. Its such a strong class, I want to see who really stands out among the rookies.[/b]
Casey's GM, InciteHysteria couldn't be reached after the draft. Rumor around the league is that they were out, running amok, inciting hysteria.
Next up, we met with actor/hockey player Clint Eastwood.
Quote:[b]SS You were drafted by your playoff team, Kelowna! Congratulations! How does it feel? Were you expecting it?
CE I feel great. Was I expecting it? Well, I was expecting to go to Kelowna possibly, but I thought I'd go in the 2nd round. I was very surprised when I went 4th overall. Overall, I couldn't be filled with anymore joy.
SS Who from your new locker room reached out to you first?
CE Well, Kelowna was the team I signed with after the trade deadline, so I knew almost everyone there. The first people that reached out to me were the newest draftees, as we were celebrating the great moment.
SS Did the GM tell you they were taking you with the ___ pick? How did you find out about it?
CE My GMs, Jenny and EJ, didn't directly tell me that they were originally trying to draft me 4th overall, but they said "We're gonna try and find some way to bring you back." That sorta hinted that they had the plan for me. And here I am.
SS What are you looking forward to the most this season?
CE I'm looking forward to a lot actually. I really wanna make bring this team to the playoffs and be apart of a cup winning team. We had a big draft bringing a lot of talent in including a new goalie: Roland Scithe. I can't wait for the season to get under way, and I can't wait to throw some big hits, and take some big shits.[/b]
Clint seems fired up for the season. There's a lot involved goint back to the team you signed with for the playoffs. It'll be interesting to see how he plays out in-front of new teammate, Roland Scithe, if we get to see him at all. Jenny, one of the GMs for Kelowna, was equally excited about picking Clint Eastwood back up.
Quote:[b]SS Your first pick was Clint Eastwood. How excited are you to see them out there with your jersey on, this time for the regular season?
J We're super excited to have Eastwood back in the green and gold! After signing him as a draftee free agent last season and seeing what he could do in our line up, we knew we wanted to bring him back, and thankfully we were able to do so.
SS Do you think you have the pieces needed now to make a run at the Cup?
J I think so. This draft was a nice size for filling in holes, and we got some much needed centers and defensive depth. As long as our players build up chemistry with each other and continue to improve throughout the season, we should be able to make a good go of it in the playoffs.
SS Who do you think was the most surprising pick in the draft?
J I thought it was surprising to see Oliviz Klozoff be drafted before Oliver Klozoff; that was an amusing pick. I was also surprised that Coren Volden went to the Militia at 15, but that's just because I'm greedy and wanted him for myself.
SS Who are you most looking forward to seeing out there this season?
J In general, definitely Isak Odegard. It'll be interesting to see how he performs on such a stacked Whalers roster and if he lives up to his hype and goes high in the SHL draft as well - not that I don't think he will, because I do! On the Knights, I'm looking forward to seeing what Mercer Church can do in a second center role. He's been looking excellent in regards to training and we're thrilled to have him.[/b]
The look on Jenny's face told me that she truly belived the words she was saying. With Mercer Church, Clint Eastwood, and Roland Scithe, Kelowna looks to make a strong run at the cup this year, and they look like the team to beat coming out of the gate.
Rolling on down the list, we met up with Luisa Koller. Another draft pick snatched back up by the team she signed with last season for the playoffs. After a stellar showing at the prospects showcase, I don't think anyone was shocked to hear Luisa Koller's name called in the first round. That is, aside from herself. Here's what she had to say.
Quote:[b]SS You were the 5th overall pick! Congratulations, first off. How does it feel? Were you expecting it?
LK It feels great, obviously. Going first round is anyone's dream. I wasn't trying to anticipate anything, so no, really.
SS How's it feel to be back in the locker room again?
LK All the guys in there are great, and Kirkstone is one of the best GMs around.
SS Did the GM tell you they were taking you with the 5th pick? How did you find out about it?
LK No he didn't, actually. I did find out later that they were shopping around for another 1st round pick for my better half on the ice, Lukas Müller, and that unfortunately didn't work out. So I think that's why they were being a little cryptic.
SS What are you looking forward to the most this season?
LK I dunno, more points? In all honesty though, I'm just looking forward to becoming the best player I can possibly be and staying at the top of this draft class.[/b]
Luisa made quite the impression last season in the short time she played for Montreal. Her GM, Raven, was thrilled with her performance on the ice. Talkative as always, Raven had nothing but stellar things to say about Luisa and the rest of the players on the Montreal Squad.
Quote:[b]SS Your first pick was Luisa Koller. How excited are you to see them out there with your jersey on?
RAVEN We are very excited to have been able to add Koller back to our lineup. Koller is going to be a stud for us in the back end as well as in puck posension and transitons. High level defense play is what Koller is all about. She also has a mean pass and can play very physical.
SS Do you think you have the pieces needed now to make a run at the Cup?
RAVEN Yes definetly, we have a great squad here in Montreal. Koller and Alfredsson will both add alot of strength to our defensive core and the forwards we picked up will surley help in the depth role and if they keep growing this year, will help us have a very sexy forward squad. I believe if all the hard work is put into place, this will be a very strong squad which will be competing for a playoff bye and the cup.
SS Who do you think was the most surprising pick in the draft?
RAVEN I think Lukas Müller was a very suprisng pick to see go so quickly. Seeing a new player come into the league and expose themself like this player has done is great. I knew his draft stock was going to be very good and definetly expected him to go first round, but second overall is a big accomplishment and it must be a huge confidence booster for this young player.
SS Who are you most looking forward to seeing out there this season?
RAVEN Everyone on the Montreal squad ofcourse! Very excited to see all of them out on the ice and playing their hearts out. Looking at other players in the league. Isak Ødegård, the first overall pick, is someone Im going to be keeping a close eye on. We know they have connections to recently retired power forward Nathan Russell who was a stud player. So we must assume that Ødegård will also be putting in all the hard work to become a stud.[/b]
Raven seems to think the Militia will give Kelowna a run for their money this season. With Koller on the back end, things are looking up out in Montreal.
Oliver König is the next SMJHL rookie on our list. This offensive defenseman out of Germany, brought his A game every match during the prospect showcase. Here's what he had to say about being drafted sixth overall:
Quote:[b]SS Congratulations, first off. How does it feel? Were you expecting it?
OK I feel relief! The draft was a nervous process through and through for both players, and I'm sure GMs as well. I had a hunch I was going 6th. I will say that.
SS Who from your new locker room reached out to you first?
OK Spooked was the first person from the Prince George locker room that I spoke to last night after being drafted.
SS Did the GM tell you they were taking you with the 6th pick? How did you find out about it?
OK Before the draft I spoke to Symmetrik a good bit. He said if I fell to 6th overall he was going to take me.
SS What are you looking forward to the most this season?
OK Developing and learning more. There is still so much to learn.[/b]
A man of few words. Oliver seems reserved and quiet. His collected demeanor may just be what the Prince George Firebirds' lockerroom needs after barely scraping into the playoffs last season. The general feel around the lockerroom is much of the same as it's been the last three seasons. Hopefully Oliver's presence in the lockerroom can combine with some late round surprises to make a cup run a real possibility for PGF. I spoke with the PGF GM Symmetrik and here's what they had to say.
Quote:[b]SS Your first pick was Oliver König. How excited are you to see him tear it up out there with the Firebirds jersey on?
SYM Super stoked. He was one of my favourites heading into the draft, he can be a future star in this league, no doubt. The way the draft started out, I was really nervous he wasn't going to fall to me even at 6. So happy he did though.
SS Do you think you have the pieces needed now to make a run at the Cup?
SYM Hopefully. I've said that for the past 3 seasons and we lost in the second round each time. Maybe we don't have the pieces now, but if some of those later round picks turn out active, we've got some really good depth for next season.
SS Who do you think was the most surprising pick in the draft?
SYM Not gonna lie, it was Lukas Muller, going at two. I really thought he'd fly under the radar a bit, especially with some of the rookies with ties to retired players. Really shocked me, and I was kind of disappointed since I was hoping I could grab him as a steal in the mid rounds. Sami Owens falling was pretty surprising too. Thought he might go where Lukas went and vice versa.
SS Who are you most looking forward to seeing out there this season?
SYM All of my rookies. I think my top four picks are all going to be great players, who can play big roles. And if any of the late round guys show up, gonna be super exciting to watch them turn into a steal.[/b]
From the Scarecrows locker room, we reached out to Tigole Bitties, who had a wonderful showing at the prospect showcase. Many people thought he'd go higher than he did, but at 7th overall, he wasn't complaining.
Quote:[b]SS Lucky Number Seven! Congratulations, first off. How does it feel? Were you expecting it?
TB No, I wasn't expecting it whatsoever. I'm very excited that Scarecrows management believed enough in me to select me this early, especially as the first non-defenseman selected in the draft. I expected to go in the 2nd round, or later.
SS Who from your new locker room reached out to you first?
TB Crossfit Jesus was at the draft actually, and was borderline fangirling when I was selected. It's been a great group of people so far and I'm excited to lace up the skates and play with them soon.
SS Did the GM tell you they were taking you with the seventh pick? How did you find out about it?
TB No, as I indicated, I was seriously blindsided. I expected the Scarecrows to select a defenseman at #7.
SS What are you looking forward to the most this season?
TB I'm looking forward to seeing how it all shakes out in St. Louis this season. The Scarecrows are a seriously deep team and it'll be a challenge just to get some playing time. I think we'll be a serious contender for the Four Star Cup.[/b]
Co-GM TML99 could not be reached for comment. It is believe that they were out with Mammoths GM InciteHysteria, inciting hysteria.
Last but surely not least on our list, is Karl Hefeweizen. No need to bless me, that's just his last name. This Austrian lad also had a great showing at the prospect showcase. He's really pumped to get the season started.
Quote:[b]SS You were the eighth overall pick! Congratulations, first off. How does it feel? Were you expecting it?
Number eight, Feels great! I didn't expect to get picked this early and I'm honored, especially when you consider the pedigree and talent that was still on the board when I was taken.
SS Who from your new locker room reached out to you first?
Ryan Richter, who will also likely be my defensive partner looking at our preseason lineup. Great guy, excited to play together.
SS Did the GM tell you they were taking you with this pick? How did you find out about it?
Nope, I found out while watching the draft stream just like everyone else!
SS What are you looking forward to the most this season?
Being on a championship team means that I have an opportunity to learn from the best, and I'll be surrounded by talented teammates. Looking around the locker room, I think anyone could step in and have a successful season with them as an individual, looking forward to translating that into success as a team.[/b]
Detroit is fresh off a Four Star Cup win over the St. Louis Scarecrows. Adding a peice like Hefeweizen is only going to help their chances at a repeat. The GM, Avakael seemed scattered as they picked up the peices on draft day, possibly still celebrating the win the season before. We caught up with them in the mix.
Quote:[b]SS Your first pick was Karl Hefeweizen. How excited are you to see them out there with your jersey on?
AVA I'm keen to see Karl out there. We've managed to keep Hawkins and Lahti for another season and both are quality defensemen who've been a big help for us and Karl should do great things with whichever guy we pair him with.
SS Do you think you have the pieces needed now to repeat the magic of last season?
AVA I think we still can. We won last season of course. We did lose a -lot- of people to going up, to retirement, and to the 5 season limit, but it looks like we're retaining most of our D core, and we're very happy with the guys we've drafted.
SS Who do you think was the most surprising pick in the draft?
AVA Most surprising pick was Clint Eastwood going at 4th. I was underneath the impression that he wasn't keen on the league anymore, but I might be wrong. What I really like is that the GM's decided to not go ham on the vets at the start. I'm not surprised that Prettyburn went first overall, she's one of the best pedigree players there is, but look at all the true rookies present, hell, starting with Lukas Müller!
SS Who are you most looking forward to seeing out there this season?
AVA Just looking for the draft sheet from my own class. That'd be Mathias Victorsson, third highest TPE player in the class. I'd actually have to say his player is pretty similar to Pietra Volkova back when she was first drafted to Halifax and she went on to be first overall in the SHL draft the next year, so I'll take that as a good omen.[/b]
All in all, the first rounders seem pretty happy to be where they are. Many of them are surprised that they ended up in this round, but plenty of these players are a generational talent. Some players such as Vijanupatan Singh and Cody Fletcher fell to the mid rounds but seem to be stirring up conversation around the league as players to look out for. My personal pick this year for for the Four Star Cup is the Halifax Raiders. They've got quite a few rookies, but Lukas Muller, Bar Downski, Dwayne Wyder, and Cody Fletcher are all names that were high on every draft board. By the luck of the draw, Halifax was able to get these four budding superstars. I wouldn't be surprised for one of them to become the standout MVP candidate this upcoming season.
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DO NOT INCLUDE IN WORD COUNT:
Thank you to everyone who took time to help me complete this article!
Quote:Originally posted by JKortesi81@Jun 12 2017, 10:55 PM This is why people need to stray from asking TML anything and always come to me. Pro Tip: it stands for Total Major Lame-o.
TML actually stands for procrastination and also WOAT GM. Joe get your facts straight
DannyMethane![[Image: dannymethane.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/dannymethane.gif)
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glad i sounded like a decently intelligent person, great article bud
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