With the SMJHL draft scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, Normand Marineau is as excited as anyone to hear his name called at the ENRON Corporate Office. This week has been hectic for Normand, and rightfully so. He ramped up his off-season workouts with double training sessions from Monday to Wednesday. Every morning, Normand works out with his strength and conditioning coach in the gym, where he's trying to put on some much-needed muscle as he enters a league with much stiffer and bigger competition. His afternoons are where he prioritizes his on-ice activities, where he works on his skating and his stick handling with some of his teammates.

Early Thursday morning saw Normand and his parents on a flight from Saint-Pierre et Miquelon to Toronto, and then Toronto to Houston, Texas for his team meetings. Normand showed up with an open mind and didn't know how many teams were interested in him. It seems like the buzz picked up on Normand quickly once he arrived at the hotel. Sources close to Normand say that a total of 12 of 16 teams have interviewed Marineau, with only two teams in the first round that have yet to reach out to the young center. Marineau has had some fantastic conversations with teams and found the draft process to be very interesting and exciting. With a little more than 12 hours, until he finds out which team he gets the privilege to play for, Marineau still has no idea where he is going to end up. The early mock drafts suggest he can go as high as 5th overall and as low as the third round. The consensus is that Normand will likely be a middle second-round pick, ranging from pick 16 to 20.

Friday was when Marineau had a chance to speak to the media and tell everyone a little bit about himself. He was born on a small island in Canada called Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, which is part of France. He will represent France in future WJC and IIHF competitions as he is technically a French citizen and has already reached out to the France team and had some exciting conversations about the future. Growing up around Canada, Marineau fell in love with hockey quickly and shot up the ranks after his travel all-star team was featured in some of the biggest tournaments in Canada. Marineau stands at 6 feet tall and weighs roughly 195 pounds. He wears the number 42 after his favorite athlete, Jackie Robinson. The centreman is known for his outstanding playmaking ability. His offensive ratings are what put him above the rest. He excels in passing and puck handling, and his offensive IQ always puts him a few steps ahead of everyone else on the ice. Marineau has always been a very smart face-off taker but knows he will have to improve against better competition and older players. Some of his weaknesses include his physical play and his strength, which he's working on every day with his coaches. Marineau has always been viewed as a leader by his peers, captaining his junior teams and being the spokesperson for various charities off the ice. Everything coming out from scouts and journalists have nothing bad to say about the young man and everyone from back home is behind Normand.

Tomorrow will be Marineau's first day with his new team. As he prepares his suit and cleans his shoes, the butterflies are starting to settle in and Normand doesn't know how many hours he's going to sleep tonight, which is more than fair. He just wants every team thinking about drafting him to see that he's going to work his hardest to be as special as he can be. He knows with a little more training and instruction from coaches and management, he can compete with everyone in the draft and the league. Marineau had a chance today during media day to speak to so many wonderful draft candidates and wants to wish everyone the best of luck for the draft tomorrow! Just know that no matter if you get drafted first overall, go in the middle rounds, or go undrafted, what matters is the improvements and connections you make on and off the ice. The first season will be tough for all recruits, so keep working hard, and good things will come!

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