Kidney: 'It's a dream come true'

MONTREAL - The Canadiens picked eight players at the 2021 NHL Draft on Saturday.

Six prospects spoke with reporters via Zoom, including forward Riley Kidney (63rd overall), forward Oliver Kapanen (64th overall), defenseman William Trudeau (113th overall), defenseman Daniil Sobolev (142nd overall), forward Joshua Roy (150th overall) and forward Xavier Simoneau (191st overall).
Here are a few highlights from their respective press conferences:
Kidney on being picked by Montreal:
It's a dream come true. It kind of feels surreal right now. My phone's kind of blowing up. Words can't even describe what I'm feeling right now. I'm glad to be here with my family celebrating it. That's super special being drafted by Montreal. When I was younger, I was always watching them. It's a Canadian team. It's a historic franchise.
Kidney on his style of play up the middle:
I'm more of an offensive center. The players I try to model myself after would be Mitch Marner and Nick Suzuki. I think we kind of play a similar game. They both have a high hockey IQ. They both have great vision. When I watch them, I try to model my game off of them. They're both really good players.

Kidney on his outstanding playoff performance this past season:
The playoffs were a big thing for me. It was a big time for my team. I was trying to make a statement. I knew it was a time that I needed to kind of show all the scouts all my skills and all the different aspects of my game. Before the playoffs started, I really focused on that. I focused on being focused before every game, before every shift. I think it really helped me and my team. I helped my team score goals and helped my team offensively. It was a really fun time. It really helped me a lot, and I'm just really excited now.
Kapanen on joining the Canadiens' fold:
It's a great honor to be a part of this organization. It's an amazing feeling right now. I can't believe it happened. I'm feeling good right now.
Kapanen on being the latest member of his family to realize an NHL dream:
They've been a big part of my hockey career so far. They gave me some tips on how to play. They had all kinds of experiences in their careers that will help me.

Kapanen on his approach as a center:
I can be a two-way center who can score goals and make plays with or without the puck. I understand the game well and I have a good hockey sense.
Trudeau on his playing style:
I can play at both ends of the rink. My breakouts and my first pass really help me stand out. I use my hockey sense to make plays that some players wouldn't think of. I think that the progress I've made over the last few years really helped me get drafted today.
Trudeau on being a Quebec-born player drafted by the Canadiens:
When I heard my name from Montreal, I jumped with joy. I'm happy. I'm going to give everything I have so the Canadiens won't regret their pick.

Trudeau on the aspects of his game he'd like to improve:
I want to work on my explosiveness skating backwards and my pivots. I put a lot of emphasis on those areas in practice. Those are things I need to improve to reach the next level.
Sobolev on his development this past season during the COVID-19 pandemic:
My agent Dan Milstein was very helpful and instrumental in my development over the last year. I spent time with great coaches in Ohio, and then later in Saginaw, MI. I worked hard. I feel that it helped me to get better. It was better than not playing or doing nothing.
Sobolev on Montreal and his NHL role model:
I know Montreal is a beautiful city, but I haven't been there yet. My favorite player I'm watching right now is Cale Makar of Colorado.

Sobolev on his defensive game:
I'm a two-way defenseman. But, in Russia, they don't allow you to play like a forward. I've basically been a stay-at-home defenseman because of that. Overall, though, I like to play a more offensive style of hockey.
Roy on his brand of hockey:
I'm a really offensive player. I have a good shot and good hockey sense. I make a lot of good offensive plays. That's the best way to describe my game.
Roy on developing with the QMJHL's Sherbrooke Phoenix:
It's an incredible organization that develops its players well. It's a perfect fit for me. They put an emphasis on player development. I've seen real improvement in my game since I got to Sherbrooke. I'm very happy.

Roy on his expectations for next season:
I'm training hard this summer to get ready and be one of the best players in the QMJHL. That's one of my goals. I think I'm heading in the right direction.
Simoneau on learning that he'd been drafted by the Canadiens:
I decided to organize a softball game with my friends and family today. I was on the field, and I knew it was approaching the seventh round. Everybody came running to tell me that I was picked by Montreal in the sixth round. It was fun to experience that moment with them. I left the game because I was too excited. It's an honor. I've been following the Canadiens since I was a kid. It's also an honor for my parents and my grandparents because they're big fans of the Canadiens, too.
Simoneau on being a Quebec-born player drafted by the Habs:
I'm still in shock. I feel like a kid. I was really moved and happy. I'm speechless.

Simoneau on going undrafted in previous years:
I'm a competitor. I always expect the best of myself. It was disappointing when it didn't happen before. It's a dream to be drafted. But, I wasn't going to let it stop me. I just tried to control what I could control so I could come back stronger in the future.