501 words

While I was enjoying a nice Schultenbrau on a hot Sunday afternoon I got the call that I was going to be draft eligible for the S65 SMJHL entry draft. This was a nice suprise as I didn't think I would be this season. After sharing the news with my friends and family we had a nice get together at the cafetaria in our local village. We had some nice deep fried snacks and a few more Schultenbrau beers.

In the days before the draft I had GM's contacting me pretty much around the clock. Because I'm from Europe and all the teams being in the US or Canada it was a hectic time. Because my uncle, Barry Batsbak, used to play for the Kelowna Knights I got lots of questions if I wanted to go also go there. I told all GM's I was open to go to any team and any city. I was already overwhelmed by the positive reactions from around the league that I had no preference at all. We've had some good talks. Some longer than others, but from some teams I knew I probably wasn't their top priority or a good fit either as they were looking to draft familiar faces. Looking at the mock drafts it also showed people thought I wasn't going to be an early pick either as I wasn't even included in a lot of mock drafts. This made me a little bit anxious to be honest.

On draft night I went to bed early. The draft was really late and I wouldn't have been able to stay awake if I didn't. The atmosphere was really nice and I was able to talk to a lot of other prospects. Everybody was nervous to find out what team they'll be spending the next few seasons with. After a short introduction by the commish and a nice recap video with highlights of last season SMJHL it was time for the draft. The first 7 teams made their picks quickly and they all made sense. They did pass on me though, even though I had some great talks with some of the teams. I guess their priorities were different and I can't offer them what they are looking for. Then pick number 8 rolled in... "The Kelowna Knights proudly select: Rikkert Biemans"... I was baffled, picked at number 8? By the team my uncle used to play for? What a nice surprise!

After putting on the Knights jersey and shake the GM's hand I sat with them at the draft table. We had some good laughs and they even asked me for input on who to select next. It shows what kind of organisation the Knights are. I have no doubt I'll be a good fit here and hopefully we can make some great new memories for the fans and the organisation. I'm looking forward to it.