Vancouver Canucks prospect Connor Davis got a phone call a week ago that changed everything.
In less than 48 hours, the fifth-round pick went from watching the NHL Draft at home with his mom in Quebec to boarding an early morning flight to Vancouver, meeting the Canucks’ coaching and front office staff, and taking the ice at his first development camp.
Davis was selected 129th overall by Vancouver, making it a whirlwind week and one that has reinforced his excitement for what’s ahead.
He was watching the draft at home last Saturday with his mom when his agent called with the news.
"I said to my agent ‘What do you mean, because I don't see anything’, but my TV was a little bit behind, so then a couple seconds later I saw my name pop up, and like I just started screaming, I almost had a heart attack,” Davis laughed. “My mom couldn't believe it, and I called my dad and he said, ‘Send me proof.’ It was one of the happiest days of my life, I'm so thankful.”
Ten minutes after his name was called, his phone blew up with congratulatory texts from friends and family. Before he had much time to process it all, another call came, this time from the Canucks, asking if he could catch an 8 a.m. flight the next morning to come to Vancouver for Canucks development camp. Davis grabbed his equipment, packed his bags, and was at the airport early Sunday morning.
As memorable as being drafted was, arriving at development camp brought another surreal moment.
Meeting Daniel and Henrik Sedin, and Alex Edler, was the greatest moment of his life.
“It was awesome getting to shake both the Sedins’ hands and Alex Edler’s hand. I always watched them on TV, and they were great, so being able to see them and have them introduce themselves was awesome. Seeing all the guys, everyone who has the same opportunity as I do, meeting them and getting to know all the guys has been great.”
Before the group got on the ice, they went river rafting, which got rave reviews from the group, and Davis, a native of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que, was impressed by the B.C. landscape.
“It was awesome, and all the mountains, and the scenery was amazing too. I'd do it again, honestly. It was so much fun,” he said.
While enjoying every experience, Davis said the most important part of this week is learning as much as he can to help get his game to where he wants it to be.
“Get all the feedback that I can. Being able to be here with so many people that have so much experience, they played at the highest level, so just really getting all that feedback and taking it all in and carrying it with me is something that I'm going to do this week.”
Coming off a strong second half of his season in the USHL with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, where he scored 11 goals and added 13 assists for 24 points in his final 14 game, Davis showed he could be a dynamic player and make an impact in every aspect of play.
He scored 55 points (26-29-55) through 59 regular-season games and had two goals in two playoff games for the RoughRiders.
“I honestly just feel it was my confidence and my consistency. Believing that I can make the plays that I can, and being consistent every single game,” Davis said.
“If something's not working out [in the game], whether I'm not scoring or can't get any assist, just laying a hit, playing defence or getting a good block, that’s consistency, and I feel like that really helped my game so much, and that's why I feel like I had a really strong second half.”
The forward feels his strengths as a player are his compete, and his reliability to help out on the defensive side of play, which he’s leaning into that as he continues to build his game.
After a strong finish last season, one area he’s focusing on to prepare for the University of North Dakota next year is his wall work as the pace and physicality is turned up a notch in NCAA hockey.
“That jump from juniors to college is going to be big. You're playing against a lot older, stronger, faster guys, so just getting the puck and getting my head up right away to make those quick and easy plays is something that I'm going to work on the summer for sure,” Davis said.
Originally committed to Northeastern University, Davis reconsidered after receiving a call from his agent in April informing him that North Dakota was interested. He flew down to check out the campus which quickly the made the decision and easy one.
“It was absolutely unbelievable. I've seen their tour on TV, but seeing it in person, you just can't say no, just the campus, the environment, the people, the coaches, you just can't say no, I couldn't say no,” he said.
“I can't wait to get started. I can't wait to get on campus, see the guys, and just have a hell of a year.”
He won’t have to wait long.
As development camp wraps up, Davis will head home to Quebec for three days before heading to North Dakota for the Fighting Hawks’ summer training.
Development camp may only last a few days, but for Davis, it’s the beginning of a much longer journey. The past week has moved quickly, from hearing his name called on draft day to wearing a Canucks jersey for the first time. He’s eager to carry the knowledge he’s gained from this week into his summer training and build on his skills for next season.
