(517 words - Draft related article double bonus)

The 14th player to be drafted in the 51st season’s entry draft of SMJHL is Sven Yxskaft, a rookie from Sweden. He was picked by the Vancouver Whalers who just barely made the playoffs last season and eventually lost their second round series to the Anchorage Armada.

A day after the draft, as the dust had settled, we caught up with Sven to ask him some questions.

How do you feel after being drafted by the Vancouver Whalers?
I’m really excited to join Vancouver! I have followed them for a while and both the players and the management stand out to me as a great and competitive group of people. Even though I have only been part of the team for barely a day I already feel at home and ready to do my best to help the team succeed.

What were your expectations going into the draft? Did you expect to be picked in the second round?
I honestly had no idea where I would be drafted. I knew that a few teams were interested in me, Vancouver included, and each time one of those teams were on the clock I perked up thinking “This might be it!”. But I saw multiple mock drafts where some had me in the second round and others that didn’t expect me being picked until the third or later. So it was anyone’s guess.

I’m really happy about being picked in the second round. It shows that the team believes in me as they were willing to use one of their early, and few picks to get me on.

Vancouver’s GM @MCP_ had the following to say after the draft: "In the SMJHL nowadays, all the good defensive prospects are taken very early on. I think a lot of teams will regret not taking Sven.". How did you react to this?
It made me thrilled to hear that, of course. The cherry on top of an already great day.

You mentioned that Vancouver showed interest in you. Did they reach out to you before the draft?
Yes one of the GMs, @dmills3, got in contact with me. We talked quickly about the league and he shared some information about the team and helped me out with any questions I had. Great guy!

The question that everyone in Vancouver is now asking: What will you bring to the team?
I have focused a lot on my positioning and puck handling to allow me to be in the way of my opponents as much as possible, collect and handle any loose pucks and quickly get my team on the counter attack.

Finally; what are your goals for your first season with Vancouver?
First and foremost I want to train hard and learn a lot from the guys on the team.

I want to make a name for myself as a reliable body in the defensive zone and a playmaker on the offense.


That’s all the time we had to talk to Sven. We wish him luck as we and the rest of the league will keep a close eye on his season.