Nick Leier is accepting questions! The 16-year-old was selected at spot sixteen in the second round to Kelowna.

Ask away :D

How much contact did you have with Kelowna prior to being drafted?
Kelowna was one of the only teams to contact me, actually. They reached out to me and made sure I felt welcome in the overwhelming atmosphere - that really stood out to me in terms of what I thought of the franchise.

How big is the grudge felt by Leier after Orlov went 2bd Overall?
You gotta realize that sometimes you don't deserve to get the best reward or get the best treatment. Being picked 16th overall is still a lavish feather in my cap. Orlov certainly deserves it and I can't say he shouldn't have been picked that high.

Any goals this season stat-wise?
I really don't think so. This year is supposed to be for growth, for finding myself as a player and what I'm going to be in the SHL.
How does it feel to be the best Nick Leier in SHL?
I'm still only in the SMJHL. *chuckles*
How will Kelowna win the Championship?
Well, our new defence is absolutely stacked. We need our goalies to stop those pucks in doubt and forwards to score, obviously. I think that all the new people, myself included, we need to find chemistry so we can combine our individual strengths into something amazing.

You're coming into a very active and competitive locker room in Kelowna, as well as the junior league as a whole. How do you plan to separate yourself from the pack?
Work hard. This is why talent fails and you find diamonds in the rough, with the draft. There will inherently be surprises in the draft, I gotta keep going, training, and refining myself. I completely believe that I can succeed in this league, but from what I've learned you better not take anything for granted.

Was Kelowna what you were hoping for in a juniors team? If not KEL, where else would you have wanted to go?
Yes! Kelowna came to me and welcomed me, as I mentioned before, so I was really happy to see that they thought so highly of me. Not just that, the Knights picked up some damn good players in this draft. People are saying we made out pretty well with it and I want to make that the truth.

:interview How do you plan to contribute to the league? Articles, graphics, podcasts? Dabble a little in each? Or stick mostly to the weekly point tasks and updates?
Articles and PTs. I love writing, so I'm going to talk a little more about myself, as in: Who is Nick Leier? Why is he playing hockey?