The s49 SMJHL draft is over. The draft lasted 5 rounds for a total of 42 picks between the 10 teams that participated. For many, this is an exciting time and a payoff for all the hard work they have put in to get this far in the sport. For others it was a night of disappointment, Lekberg Osterman is among the last mentioned.

For our readers that are unfamiliar with the player we put together a short description of him; 
Henrik Lekberg Osterman is a promising two-way forward from Karlstad, Sweden with excellent defensive, passing and play making ability. He's very determined, capable of willing his way through a game. In the locker room he's been described as modest and witty, if a little quiet. He's been described as a consummate professional by previous coaches. He is good at finding open ice and can be counted on to play his top game when the heat is on. He play's best at the big stage when the stakes are high. He needs to work on his shooting, skating and strength while on the puck. His penalty shot is probably his worst stat, going 2 for 17 in recorded games heading into the draft.

He is currently playing in the junior prospects showcase tournament for the Vipers. As of writing this he has played in 27 games, scoring 14 goals and racking up 7 assists for a total of 21 points. He has 6 penalty minutes to his name and has a SHT% of 26.97%. While not being a totally reliable stat, he currently has one of the highest +/- in the tournament with +17. The vipers are currently 14-10-3 in the tournament.

We we're able to speak to him for a couple of minutes and get his thoughts on the draft and his plans going forward. The following is a direct transcription of our short conversation.

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Thanks for taking the time to chat after the draft Henrik. Coming out of it what are some of the thoughts going through your mind right now?
-Hey bud. Yeah, no problem. Well... Obviously its a little disappointing, you know? Everyone wants to get drafted but the reality is less than half of the guys available ended up getting picked so even though it sucks right now you cant be too hard on yourself. You have to kind of see it as an extra shot of motivation. Plenty of guys have made it really far in their career's even though they didnt get drafted so... That's kinda where I'm at right now. Back on the horse, ya know?

Sure, ofcourse. What are your plans going forward? 
Umm.. Yeah so, right now I'll probably just let it sink in a little. Have to get to grips with free agency and what that means for me so I'll be making some calls and getting in contact with some guys who can help me with that. Other than that I think its business as usual. Going back to training hard and making sure I'm someone teams will want to add to their roster. My goal has always been to make it at the pro level and that hasn't changed.

How would you rate the overall experience of the draft and all that surrounds it?
Yeah I think it was a great experience. Getting to meet some of the other players and talking to them about what its been like for them. Its been a lot of fun. And obviously talking to scouts and GM's has been a great learning experience for me, if a little daunting at times. But its been great overall, really.

Is there anythi-
Oh hang on, sorry bud. I'm getting another call. Looks like it might be important, do you mind if I get this and get back to you?


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Although we were not certain about the nature of the call at the time, we speculated that it may have been from one of the teams interested in him before the draft, most likely the Colorado Raptors, but there was speculation about multiple teams being interested in him going into the draft. This was confirmed the next morning when we we're able to speak with Lekberg Osterman again about his getting picked up by the Colorado Raptors after a very short stint as a free agent. The following is a direct transcription of our second phone call with the player.


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Good morning Henrik and congratulations!
Hah, yeah thanks guys. Sorry for hanging up on you yesterday.

No problem, obviously it was a call worth taking. How do you feel now the day after being picked up by the Colorado Raptors?
It feels great, ya know? I felt like I was on cloud nine after getting that phone call. I felt like I had a series of great conversations with the guys from Colorado before the draft so I'm glad thats where I ended up. I think its a great organisation and a good fit for me personally. Can't wait to get over there.

What was the first thing you did after receiving the call?
Called my grandparents. They we're kinda devastated to hear about me not being drafted so I wanted them to be the first to know. They we're a big part of my childhood and driving me to rinks and all that so. Yeah. After that I called my parents and let them know, I think they must have gotten in touch with just about everyone I know because my phones been blowing up with congratulations from people I havnt met for like, 10 years haha! After that me and by brother went out for dinner to celebrate.

We'll try and keep this one short as I know you have to be pretty busy right now but.. Yesterday we asked what your future plans look like and in light of what happened after our phone call, how has that changed ? Has it changed?
Haha, yeah. A little I guess. I have a clearer plan of what my future looks like. Right now the only thing on my mind is packing and getting to Colorado for training camp. Its going to be a fantastic experience I'm sure, looking forward to working with those guys and getting my game to the next level. I'm really excited to work with the coaches and really fine tune my play. Hopefully I'm a useful piece for them.

Alright, well we'd like to thank you once again for taking the time to speak to us this morning, and last night as well for that matter. We hope to see more of you as the season progresses. And congratulations again Henrik.
Alright guys thanks, you definitely will. Have a good one. 

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In an interview in a local Swedish newspaper, Lekberg Osterman was quoted as saying he;

"(On joining the Colorado Raptors)...hope I can bring something constructive to the team both on and off the ice. I want to bring my A game and prove that I can thrive in that league. I havnt had a chance to meet most of the guys yet but I look forward to it. I've spoked to the GM obviously. And coach Terrorov. We had a great conversation about where he thinks I can fit and what he sees in me as a player so I'm really looking forward to working with him and the rest of the coaching staff. Looking forward to showing what I can do on the ice and meeting the fans. Really looking forward to that. I'm the happiest guy in the world right now.

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2x media week
Not a native speaker
1316 words, ready for grading.

Welcome to Colorado

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Former players:
Ivo Willems (S9 SMJHL) (S10-28 SHL)  
Xander Green  (S33-35 SMJHL) (S36-47 SHL)
Vorian Atreides (S49-51 SMJHL) (S52-61 SHL)

So happy we got you! Total stud

Thanks guys, happy to be a Raptor