Alex Galchenyuk is a forward for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot, 198-pound forward was born in Milwaukee but is of Russian decent -- his father, Alexander, spent five of his 22 professional seasons playing in the U.S. Alex was the first pick of the 2010 OHL draft, and last season had 31 goals and 52 assists in 68 games. He had 2 goals and an assist in five games for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and returned to take part in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp in August. Despite suffering a major knee injury that nearly ended his season before it really began, Galchenyuk has maintained a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2012 NHL Draft.

PITTSBURGH -- What a day it's been.

I slept pretty good last night, and today I woke up and had the weirdest feeling. It felt like I was playing my first game back from the injury -- the same kind of feeling.

Walking into the building on the red carpet, I felt like a movie star. That was a great experience. The NHL did a perfect job.

It was kind of an up and down feeling for me. I was kind of nervous but then I settled down. Then the teams started picking and I kind of got nervous again.

Hearing Yaki [Nail Yakupov] get picked first was great. He deserved it. He's a great friend of mine, and he's a great player. He deserved it a lot. I'm happy for him.

Then I was just sitting there. I didn't know what to expect. I was just sitting and waiting. Then when it was Montreal's turn, I didn't even hear my name called. I just heard Sarnia Sting and that was it. I just started hugging my parents and stuff. I was just so excited.

I was in my own zone walking down the stairs and up to the stage. It was just an unbelievable feeling. My heart was racing. I think the Commissioner said something to me, probably something like "Welcome to the NHL" and "Good job," but I don't really remember -- I was too excited.

Pulling that jersey over my head was unbelievable. They have the most tradition of any team in the NHL, they have the most Stanley Cups. It's an unbelievable feeling.

I'll just have some fun today and then get back to work tomorrow. There's a development camp to get ready for and we'll see where it goes from here. I know this is just the first step.

Follow Alex Galchenyuk on Twitter: @AGally94

Alex Galchenyuk is a forward for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot, 198-pound forward was born in Milwaukee but is of Russian decent -- his father, Alexander, spent five of his 22 professional seasons playing in the U.S. Alex was the first pick of the 2010 OHL draft, and last season had 31 goals and 52 assists in 68 games. He had 2 goals and an assist in five games for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and returned to take part in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp in August. Despite suffering a major knee injury that nearly ended his season before it really began, Galchenyuk has maintained a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

PITTSBURGH -- So it's been a pretty busy time for me since I got to Pittsburgh two days ago. We got in about 10:45, and I just settled down in the hotel and saw a few people. But I could feel the draft atmosphere coming up.

It's been a busy last two days. I met with a couple teams and did a lot of media stuff. We had the hockey clinic yesterday and then we played ball hockey on the bridge. Then today we had more media stuff on the boat and then we did batting practice at the Pirates' stadium. So there's been a lot of activities going on. It's an exciting weekend for us.

Taking batting practice was tough. I hit in batting cages as a kid, but they didn't pitch that hard. It was hard, for sure. I hit maybe one or two. It was real tough.

I figured out one thing -- I should stick to hockey.

But I wasn't the worst out there. It was Yaki [Nail Yakupov]. I knew I wouldn't be the worst because I knew Yaki was the worst. But it was a great experience.

People ask me if I'm nervous for the draft, and I don't think I feel nervous. I had a tough year. I want to have fun with this experience. Nothing about nerves, I'm just thinking about the fun. Having fun with my family and just enjoying this whole process."

I'm preparing myself for anything because it doesn't matter where I go. You always think about where you're going, but I'm just like, have fun with it, have fun with this experience. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not a lot of people can have this experience. I'm thankful and grateful to have this experience.

Hopefully I'll get a good night sleep tonight, but I don't know. I might say I'll get a good sleep and then I'll go in the room and I won't fall asleep at all. I don't know. We'll see what happens.

Follow Alex Galchenyuk on Twitter: @AGally94

Alex Galchenyuk is a forward for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot, 198-pound forward was born in Milwaukee but is of Russian decent -- his father, Alexander, spent five of his 22 professional seasons playing in the U.S. Alex was the first pick of the 2010 OHL draft, and last season had 31 goals and 52 assists in 68 games. He had 2 goals and an assist in five games for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and returned to take part in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp in August. Despite suffering a major knee injury that nearly ended his season before it really began, Galchenyuk has maintained a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Hello everybody!

I've been having the craziest and most exciting couple of weeks in my life. I have to admit the schedule wasn't as tough as during the Combine, but there were still some places I needed to be.

Right after the combine I had to do a little combine in Toronto for the Maple Leafs, then I flew home to Sarnia for a little bit and after that my next stop was Montreal. I was there for two days and we did some stuff on and off the ice. Overall, a great trip. I've never been in Montreal and to see the city and then the rink, locker rooms and everything was pretty exciting.

Right now I'm very excited, of course. I've been dreaming of this moment since I was a little kid. It means everything to me, a new step in the direction of achieving my goal, and I can't be happier.

Today, my family and I are leaving for Pittsburgh. We are really excited. June 22 will be a fun day for all of us.

Follow Alex Galchenyuk on Twitter: @AGally94

Alex Galchenyuk is a forward for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot, 198-pound forward was born in Milwaukee but is of Russian decent -- his father, Alexander, spent five of his 22 professional seasons playing in the U.S. Alex was the first pick of the 2010 OHL draft, and last season had 31 goals and 52 assists in 68 games. He had 2 goals and an assist in five games for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and returned to take part in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp in August. Despite suffering a major knee injury that nearly ended his season before it really began, Galchenyuk has maintained a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

It's been a good week for me here at the Scouting Combine. When I arrived in the hotel I didn't know what to expect. I thought it would be like the Research and Development camp. But I expected more media, more scouts, more people, and that's what happened.

Since I didn't know what to expect from the NHL teams, I was a little nervous in the interviews. I think my first interview wasn't my best one. Then I got comfortable and I wanted to make sure they knew what kind of person I am and what kind of personality I have and I think I did that well.

Today I had the testing, and that was really different. When I walked into the room, the first thing I thought was, "Oh my god." So many media and they're just starting at you. You feel awkward a little bit, but then you see the things you've seen the before, like the bench press, the bikes. So you feel like, "OK, I know what this is," and just get in and perform.

All the tests are things I've done before, but I didn't do those things in one workout. It's stuff I've done, but once a year for the testing for your achievement back in Sarnia. It was a little different but I knew what was going on.

The bike tests at the end were really tough. You might think it's strange to have them duct tape your feet to the pedals or have them scream in your face, but I'm glad they did. I was actually wanting them to tape me in and I'm happy they did. You don't want to lose any seconds or power because your feet are moving. And my dad screams all the time at me to push me, so I got used to that. It was good. I like that they take the time and help me get better.

It was hard, but I'm a competitive person. I want to give everything out. On the Wingate I gave 100 percent, same on the VO2 -- 100 percent. I feel really relieved and happy about myself right now.

The VO2 test was a new thing for me. They put the thing in your mouth and close your nose with their fingers. I don't really like tight spaces, and you know when someone holds your nose you almost feel like you're dying, but I got used to it and it was good.

I'm not sure how I did on any one test, or if I did well or not. But I don't think it's the results 100 percent, that teams look for. It's how you give everything out. I know I gave everything out there. But we'll see what happens on June 22.

I'm heading home now, but I want to thank the NHL for the hospitality and for making this event so comfortable for the players. The hotel has been great, the teams have been nice and it's just an unbelievable experience. I'll remember this for the rest of my life, for sure.

Alex Galchenyuk is a forward for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot, 198-pound forward was born in Milwaukee but is of Russian decent -- his father, Alexander, spent five of his 22 professional seasons playing in the U.S. Alex was the first pick of the 2010 OHL draft, and last season had 31 goals and 52 assists in 68 games. He had 2 goals and an assist in five games for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and returned to take part in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp in August. Despite suffering a major knee injury that nearly ended his season before it really began, Galchenyuk has maintained a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

It's Day 2 for me at the NHL Scouting Combine. Day 1 was tough. Well, not really tough. It was just exciting. A long day -- probably the longest day of my life so far. I had nine interviews. It was long, and it was longer because I had big breaks. I had a lot of time, and it got boring. I wish each one was right after the other, 1-2-3. But it was good.

No interesting questions to report. I was waiting for that the whole day yesterday, some weird, weird questions, because I've heard about them in the past. But so far this year, no. No weird questions.

I have seven interviews today, and they're spaced out a bit better today. I think I have one break, from 12 to 4 p.m., but that's not too bad.

Someone asked me if this is what I thought it would be like, and I'd say kind of yes and kind of no. I thought it would be like the Research and Development Camp -- same hotel, lot of media and GMs and players walking around. But obviously this is more NHL people here. I didn't know what to expect. I'd never been to Combine before. Now I know what's happening.

I have 22 interviews in all, and then I have my fitness testing Friday morning. I've heard about the bike tests, but I'm not nervous. I'm just really excited for it. You're going to do some stuff and a lot of people are going to watch you. I'm new to the experience, like I was new to the interviews. I'm just waiting and I want to see what's going to happen.

Alex Galchenyuk is a forward for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot, 198-pound forward was born in Milwaukee but is of Russian decent -- his father, Alexander, spent five of his 22 professional seasons playing in the U.S. Alex was the first pick of the 2010 OHL draft, and last season had 31 goals and 52 assists in 68 games. He had 2 goals and an assist in five games for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and returned to take part in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp in August. Despite suffering a major knee injury that nearly ended his season before it really began, Galchenyuk has maintained a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

It's been a long season but I'm really happy now. I'm on my way to Toronto for the Scouting Combine.

That means the draft is almost here. I've been waiting and looking forward to this all my life and now it's all starting and no words can describe the feeling of excitement that I have.

To be honest I really don't know what to expect at the Combine but I think it might be a little similar to the Research and Development Camp in August, in terms of the atmosphere and with all the media and all the GMs of the teams. I think it will be an awesome experience, and I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm sure I'll be talking to a lot of teams over the next few days, and then I'll have the physical testing. But keep checking here and I'll keep you all updated with what I'm doing and how it's going.

Alex Galchenyuk is a forward for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot, 198-pound forward was born in Milwaukee but is of Russian decent -- his father, Alexander, spent five of his 22 professional seasons playing in the U.S. Alex was the first pick of the 2010 OHL draft, and last season had 31 goals and 52 assists in 68 games. He had 2 goals and an assist in five games for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and returned to take part in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp in August. Despite suffering a major knee injury that nearly ended his season before it really began, Galchenyuk has maintained a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Hello Everyone.  I want to give you guys a little update and share all the things that have been going on lately.

First of all, I want to start with the OHL playoffs. It was my first time playing in the playoffs, and our team was very motivated to do well and I was obviously even more excited because I was finally back and ready for some action. I felt good out there and wanted to win every game. Unfortunately it didn't end up the way me and my team would have wanted it to, but there was no question we believed in our group and thought we could go deep in the playoffs. Everyone tried very hard and was very upset when it was over. But I would also like to give credit to the Saginaw Spirit; their team played great and so did their goalie.

You know, even looking into the NHL playoffs now, you realize the playoffs are a whole different "season," and anything can happen -- you never know. We just didn't get our bounces back, but overall it was definitely an awesome experience with an awesome group of guys.

I also saw that the final draft rankings from NHL Central Scouting came out. For me personally it's really nice to be in the top five, but I try to not pay much attention to it right now, because I still feel that if I played the whole season I would probably be in a different position right now. But then, on the other hand it really doesn't matter because the thing that matters most is how you get to the next level and how you perform there. Besides, I think in this year's draft there are like six or seven top guys that can go anywhere from 1-7, so it really breaks down to the fact of which team is looking for what type of player so it's all up to the scouts and GMs now.

I will say this: I will be happy with any team, the team that picks me and believes in me. I will be very proud to put their jersey on. It's the NHL.
 
As of right now, I want to be ready for whatever is ahead of me. I'm really excited about the NHL Scouting Combine that will be at the end of this month. I've been looking it up on YouTube for the last couple of years, watching all the things that they do there, so it will be a lot of fun to get a chance to actually do them myself for the first time.

I'm in Sarnia now, working out, skating and getting ready. I'm not saying that I'm specifically doing the things that will be at the Combine, just doing my normal workouts that I usually do in this time of year.

I'm really looking forward to all the things that the next couple of months will consist of; the excitement just keeps building up. I'm very happy where I am right now. It was a difficult season in every single way for me, but I finished it with a feeling that I did everything I could and came out stronger physically and mentally, which is always a good thing.

I'm blessed to have all the wonderful people that stood by me throughout the whole time and all the support that I got from my teammates, family, friends and fans. Thank you.

Alex Galchenyuk is a forward for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot, 198-pound forward was born in Milwaukee but is of Russian decent -- his father, Alexander, spent five of his 22 professional seasons playing in the U.S. Alex was the first pick of the 2010 OHL draft, and last season had 31 goals and 52 assists in 68 games. He had 2 goals and an assist in five games for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and returned to take part in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp in August. Despite suffering a major knee injury that nearly ended his season before it really began, Galchenyuk has maintained a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Today was a pretty good day. It's been five long months, but I was finally able to play in a game tonight.

Usually I don't sleep the day before a game, but yesterday I slept good. We went to the rink this morning, did some skating, rode the bike. That's when I got really excited. Then I went home, had a pre-game nap, and then my buddy picked me up and we went to the game.

I got to the arena a little earlier than usual. Getting dressed I was obviously nervous -- and excited. I didn't know what to think. It's my first game, so my focus wasn't to go out and score three goals. I just wanted to get into the game, and try not to get embarrassed.

I got to start the game, along with my linemates, Brett Thompson and Charles Sarault. It was strange being on the ice for the anthems. Last year I played all 68 games and didn't even miss a single practice. Most of this season, I was in the press box listening to the anthem. Now I'm standing in skates on the ice. It was a pretty cool experience. Just thinking about trying to get here, waiting for this moment -- it was pretty special.

I got a real nice reaction from the fans when my name was announced for the starting lineup. It was pretty loud and I really appreciated that.

I didn't play as much as I usually would, but tonight was about getting back into game shape, getting my timing back. I talked to the coach before the game and he said how much I played would depend on how I felt. One moment I would feel tired and then the next moment I'd feel fine. Late in the game I got tired and didn't play the last six minutes.

I got hit pretty hard today once and I felt OK. I was pretty happy I got hit. It got me back to some physical play. Because of the schedule I haven't had a lot of practice time and obviously no one on my team is out to hit me hard, so getting that hit early was good.

We lost 7-1 tonight, so it was tough mentally and physically. I know I can play a little bit better. I didn't expect much, I haven't played in five months. But I think I'll be better for the next game.

I'm sore, but you're usually sore after practice or a game. My knee is OK, so that's good.

It was good to get the first game back out of the way. We play London on Friday and that game will be on national television. The focus will be different. For this game, I was just getting used to playing again because I haven't played in five months. On Friday, the focus will be to play like I want to play, be skillful. It's like getting your first goal out of the way. I got it and I don't have to worry about it anymore. I'm excited for London.

Alex Galchenyuk is a forward for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot, 198-pound forward was born in Milwaukee but is of Russian decent -- his father, Alexander, spent five of his 22 professional seasons playing in the U.S. Alex was the first pick of the 2010 OHL draft, and last season had 31 goals and 52 assists in 68 games. He had 2 goals and an assist in five games for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and returned to take part in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp in August. Despite suffering a major knee injury that could end his season before it really starts, Galchenyuk has offered to maintain a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Hi everyone.

I got some good news this month -- I have been officially cleared by my doctors to skate, so of course I’m thrilled about that. I am skating mostly every day now, getting closer and closer to full recovery.  Most of my time is now spent in the gym and on the ice, since I need less physical therapy and more of actual training. We've been driving to London mostly just for check-ups with my doctors and I skate there so they can actually see how my progress is going on the ice. In Sarnia I still go to see Dr. John Vargo 1-2 times a week, he’s been helping me out a lot. I think that if I keep skating and working out the way I do right now, I will soon be very close to the point where I was before all of this happened. I’m definitely feeling better and more comfortable every day.  A couple of times I was even out with my team and did some 1-on-0 drills. I guess at this point every single detail is very special and I get excited about it, so I’m happy to share all of this with you guys.

I get asked a lot if I'm going to come back and play in March or not. Of course I want to, and I'm doing everything possible for it right now and everything I'm allowed to do, pushing myself a little harder each day -- that's my goal right now and I'm hoping it's possible, but I also want to be 100-percent ready. I'm not settling down for 50 percent, because if I do get to play some games in the regular season I want to put all my effort in them. I've been waiting for a long time and don't want to make any mistakes at this point and rush it.

Overall, I'm very optimistic at this moment. I had to go through a lot, I had a lot of time to think. I try to set goals for myself waking up every day and I fight to accomplish them and try to set the bar a little higher as I do. It's a full-time routine that you have to go through and literally compete against yourself to make yourself better. I can totally say it's made me stronger in every way.

The CHL Top Prospects game was at the end of last month. Congratulations to all the guys that got chosen. I really wish I could have been a part of it, but it's life and unfortunately a lot of us had to miss out this year. I think it's a great honor for players to be picked to take part in the All-Star-type prospects games, because you get a chance to play with the best against the best. It always turns out to be very competitive and fun at the same time.

I also watched the NHL All Star Game, and thought the Super Kane show at the skills competition was pretty awesome. The highlight of the month I think was Sam Gagner with his eight points in a game, and he's been great ever since. It's kind of cool because we are both with Pulver Sports and I got to meet him at the BioSteel camp two years ago and he's a really nice guy. We recently went to Detroit with my dad and Nail Yakupov to watch the Red Wings-Oilers game, which we enjoyed watching, too.

Anyway, that's my update for now. I just realized that the next time I will be reporting to you guys I might be preparing for my first game and that thought just got me totally pumped and excited.

As always I'm really thankful for all the support I get from my family and friends, and thanks for the support on Twitter from all my fans (@AGally94). It's been amazing.

Alex Galchenyuk is a forward for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-foot, 198-pound forward was born in Milwaukee but is of Russian decent -- his father, Alexander, spent five of his 22 professional seasons playing in the U.S. Alex was the first pick of the 2010 OHL draft, and last season had 31 goals and 52 assists in 68 games. He had 2 goals and an assist in five games for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and returned to take part in the 2011 NHL Research, Development and Orientation Camp in August. Despite suffering a major knee injury that could end his season before it really starts, Galchenyuk has offered to maintain a monthly blog for NHL.com that will chronicle his season leading up to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Hey everybody. Hope all of you had a good time over the holidays.

I have some exciting news this month -- I went out on the ice! It was Dec. 19th, and it only was for about 10 minutes, but it still felt great. It made me feel like I am getting closer and closer to recovery.

The second time was Dec. 31, and of course the second time around I felt more comfortable on the ice. I was still taking it very easy, but I went out there and took a few good shots. I guess all my upper-body workouts are paying off. So that was a very exciting way for me to start the New Year.

Therapy in London is going well. I can do mostly everything now, and we decided to reduce it to two times a week. I'm visiting Dr. Vargo's office daily for additional physiotherapy and massages. I've started swimming and I'm doing squats and lunges. My legs are getting bigger and stronger and I still focus on my upper body and core, too. Also, daily cardio is in my routine now, so I can get in shape faster. If in the beginning it was mostly therapy and a little workout, now I've started working out almost at full strength. My doctor says that hopefully closer to the end of this month I will officially be allowed to skate. I'm pretty pumped about that.

Christmas and New Year's was fun with my family, but I didn't really take any time off during the holidays this year. I don't want to lose any time. Our family also celebrated Russian Christmas which is Jan. 6-7.

I watched most of the World Junior Championship. It was a very intense competition and a lot of exciting games. Although I enjoyed watching, I admit I wasn't that crazy over it because it's hard to just watch and not be able to participate. I'm very happy for my buddies from Team Russia, "Jambo" (Nail Yakupov) and "Dino" (Artem Sergeev) for winning the silver medal. Also for Filip Forsberg and Sebastian Collberg from Team Sweden. I had a chance to play with both of them on one line when we played for Europe Selects and both are great players. I'm especially happy for Ludvig Rensfeldt, my teammate from Sarnia, for winning the gold. It was a great level of hockey.

I also loved watching all the episodes of the HBO "24/7" series with the Rangers and Flyers, and as always it was one of the best shows of the year. It's always interesting to get that inside scoop on all of the players.

Hopefully when I check in this time next month I’ll finally be skating with my team.  Talk to you guys soon!

And thanks to all the people supporting me on Twitter at @AGally94 -- it means a lot.