The Votto family is all smiles after Sami Votto was selected 38th overall by the Kelowna Knights. A day later, Sami and his father, Sebastian Votto, sit down for an interview with an SMJHL-themed podcast.



Podcaster: "Thanks to Sami and Sebastian Votto for sitting down with us today. Many of us fondly remember Sebastian from his days as an NWJHL and SHL skater and Sami, well, he's now the one of the newest members of the Kelowna Knights."

Sami Votto: "Thanks for having us come on."

Podcaster: "Definitely. Now I'd like to start with you Sebastian. It was 8 years ago when we last saw you play and now here you are, the proud father of a son that is about to begin his professional career. That must be pretty awesome."

Sebastian Votto: "It is pretty awesome. It's awesome to watch you kids grow and aspire to do for a living what they're passionate about. I was and remain very passionate about hockey and it's pretty special to watch Sami play and know that he's go so much potential. He's definitely going to be better in North America than his old man was."

Podcaster: "What do you think about Sami getting his start in Kelowna?"

Sebastian: "That's really great. I was hoping he would go to a franchise that I'm familiar with and I can't thank the Knights front office enough for taking a chance on Sami. You know, he entered the draft late and there's a lot of uncertainty about what he brings, but this guy...he's going to make the good fans of Kelowna proud."

Podcaster: "How excited are you to be a Knight, Sami?"

Sami: "Extremely excited. I wasn't sure how long it would take for my name to be called and the longer you wait, the more anxious you get. But Kelowna is a great city, we've see my dad play there a lot, and they have great fans and a really crazy hockey atmosphere there."

Podcaster: "And from what we understand, you have just signed a $3-million deal with the Knights?"

Sami: "That is correct. Standard rookie offer for draft picks, but still a lot of money."

Sebastian: "That is a lot of money. I remember my first contract offer in the NWJHL...and you were getting $500,000. I think the first round picks received about a million or a maybe even a couple million for top three picks. Granted, there were end of season bonuses back then, but I'm not sure we ever received one."

Podcaster: "While on that subject, I'm curious Sebastian, how much has the juniors changed since you played?"

Sebastian: "Well it's a bigger league, for one. I only remember about 8 teams back when I came through. Teams are also under different names and locations. I can remember Kelowna, Vancouver, Detroit, and Montreal back then, but of course, the Militia were fondly known as the "Impact". I'm not sure what happened there. Maybe the MLS team filed suit."

Podcaster: "I believe it was a change in ownership that wanted to move away from confusion with the MLS's Montreal Impact."

Sebastian: "Okay, that makes sense. It was fun to play there. But yeah, I can remember the original four, and then we had Prince George, Boston, Washington, and...was it Seattle? I can't remember the city but there was a team called the "Stingrays", or something like that."



Podcaster: "Now you played with Montreal, didn't you?"

Sebastian: "I did play with Montreal once I was drafted to the SHL and we were sent down to the affiliates."

Podcaster: "That's right, the league had set affiliates back then."

Sebastian: "They did and ours was Montreal. But before then, I was drafted and played out my first season with the Washington Patriots."

Podcaster: "Let's get back to you Sami. After all, you're the reason we're here. I'm curious to know what your immediate plans are and if there's any players you're excited to skate with?"

Sami: "First thing I have to say is I'm excited to play with Gunnar Soderberg. He's a great player who I've seen a lot in some international play and I'm happy to be on the same side of the ice as him, now. I'm also pretty excited to play with Karl Scholz, Nickolas Klaus, and Sanyi Kocsis. That's just a few of the many, and to be honest, they asked us to vote for captains and I'm a little torn about how to cast my ballot."

Podcaster: "Yeah, that can't be easy."

Sami: "It's not! And as great of players these guys are, I have no idea what kind of leaders we have. I'm sure we have plenty of leadership though. Kelowna is a very proud and respected franchise and I know they don't give out their sweaters to guys they can't trust to carry the lineage with a certain type of honor."

Podcaster: "You sound like you're talking up a House on Game of Thrones."

Sami: "Ha, yes! Well it's true, you know. The Knights are a storied team in the league and I'm really honored to play for them. And I'm proud they'll be my team as long as I'm in the juniors. Like my dad said, they used to play for whatever juniors team their SHL team carried as an affiliate. But now, in these days, I know I'll be a Knight until my time in the juniors is over."

Sebastian: "Unless you get traded."

Sami: "True! But lets not think like that. Lets hope I perform too well for the team to ever want to trade."


Podcaster: "So next up is Training Camp in Kelowna, right?"

Sami: "Yes, I need to pick up some equipment today and then we're on a plane and headed for Kelowna. We start the team camp on Friday."

Podcaster: "Anything specifically that you're planning to work on at Training Camp?"

Sami: "Conditioning, always. Guys who rely on their skates, like me, we always have to stay tip-top on our conditioning. I would like to put some more effort into playing defensive hockey and work on playing the puck off rebounds and those garbage situations in front of the net. You know, I played a lot of finesse hockey back in Finland, and now, in North America, I need to adapt to a grittier, more physical style of play."

Podcaster: "Well we're certainly excited to see you get onto the SMJHL ice and show us what you've got."

Sami: "Thank you. I'm excited too."

Podcaster: "I want to thank Sami Votto, the newest member of the Kelowna Knights...and his father, SHL veteran, Sebastian Votto... Thank you both for your time today."

Sami: "Thanks for having on."

Podcaster: "You bet Sami. Guys, let's do this again. All the best to you this season, Sami."

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