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PremierBromanov · 08-02-2019, 10:33 AM

912 words, 2x draft, ready for grading

Tom Fiddler joins us today having been drafted in the 4th round, 34th overall. He was selected by the Montreal Militia who had a slew of picks this draft. He also comes off a solid season in the prospect tournament, earning 19 goals and 53 points in 40 games for the Majors. The Majors finished 5th overall and enter the playoffs today against the Blazers.

Welcome Tom. Let's dive right in. So the draft: That's a big day for a young player. Were you nervous?

I was admittedly a little nervous. The draft is obviously not something you can really get used to since you really only do it once unless you get undrafted. I remember sitting on the couch watching with my parent. It took a long time to even get to the 4th round and it felt like forever! I thought maybe I wouldn't get drafted at all [Laughs]. But I know that's silly. I was pretty sure I was going to get drafted, I just had no idea who or when.

It's a little nerve wracking isn't it? Did you have a ballpark idea of where you'd get drafted?

Well I thought I played really well leading up to the draft, but I wasn't really sure exactly what everyone was looking for. It's hard to gauge yourself, you know? And with the reddit draft being so up-in-the-air there really isn't much of a ranking system leading up. All the media seemed quiet about all of us. So I wasn't sure where I stood. And everyone just seems so talented when you're playing out there, you know? The coaches are pretty good about getting you good matchups

Speaking of the tournament, you had a team leading 53 points, team leading 123 shots, and had the most ice time of any forward. Can you speak to the results and how those lined up with your goals, or perhaps didn't?

Yeah, I was really happy to be someone the team can rely on. Some guys in the locker room don't really watch the stats, they just want to win. But me, I like to have some verification of how well I'm doing aside from winning. I was super happy to be able to play the hard minutes against some of the best lines in the tournament. You look at guys like Dangelchek and McCrosbov and Gold, they're lighting up the tournament and you have the opportunity to compete against them. To be able to sort of come out of that with some good stats just feels really good. I'm really happy the team relied on me as much as they did and that I was able to live up to the expectation. Coming into it I was a little nervous about my performance because some of the guys out there are really good shooters and passers or they're really defensive. I know I can handle the puck well and skate but I wasn't sure how it would stack up.

Phineas Gold now sits in your locker room with the Montreal Militia. Have you had a chance to meet him yet?

I met everyone only briefly, but from what I can tell he's a really cool guy. I'm looking forward to spending more time with him. He's a great puck handler too and has a wicked shot. I'm looking forward to making some magic out there with im this season

What was your experience like meeting the team? Have you ever been wined and dined like that before?

Oh it was incredible. They took us out to this big fancy dinner and brought us up to speed on the organization. I've never done something like that before, I felt a little under dressed to be honest [Laughs]. After that we were able to talk to the GM and coaches about next steps, which is great. I always like having something to work towards.

Can you speak to what some of that advice might have been?

Well I don't think I can speak too specifically about it. But mostly, I need to work on my positioning a lot and that's an area I've already been working on. The team practices I think will be a huge step for me. Then I need to decide if I'm going to be a scorer or a play maker. I'm pretty good at both but I guess you don't want to be indecisive about it.

Alright, now we've got some "social media" questions, so bear with us. I know they sound lame but just have fun with it.

[Laughs] Okay, lets go

Favorite player growing up?

Pavel Datsyuk for sure. He's the magic man for a reason. It was incredible growing up in detroit watching him do what he does. He and Patrick Kane are guys I like to model my game after. Incredible puck handlers but also really smart

Favorite breakfast food?

Hashbrowns.

Do you have a hidden talent?

I'm actually really good at playing the drums, but I don't get much practice time lately.

Favorite artist or band?

Easily Coheed and Cambria

And finally, what are you gonna do with that big paycheck you just got?

Oh man, it's really tempting to spend it on something stupid like a car, or a down payment on a place I don't need. But I'm gonna have to buy some equipment and training with it.

Well Thank you for speaking with us today, good luck in the prospect playoffs!

Zach · 08-02-2019, 02:34 PM

Welcome!

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