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Draft day brings a lot of nerves and excitement.
For Parker Bell, surrounded by his family back home in Campbell River, B.C, the anticipation to hear his named called was high during Day 2 of the 2022 NHL Draft.
When the fifth round rolled around, the wait was over as the Flames selected the forward with the 155th overall pick, their second selection of the day.

"It was a pretty surreal experience," Bell said. "There's nothing quite like it. It was one of the best days of my life and it was nice to spend it with my family and have them all there watching with me. It was amazing.
"I was missing most of the names prior to being picked but I actually ended up hearing mine called so that was really cool. It started to settle in more day by day after the draft that I'm a part of this organization and it's an amazing feeling. Couldn't ask for anything more."

The 6-foot-4 forward had a breakout season with the Tri-City Americans this past season, ending the campaign with 49 points (18G, 31A) good for second in team scoring while his assist totals was tops for the club.
After getting into the swing of the WHL game in his first two season prior, his game really took off as he developed one heck of a shot, possessing a hunger to put the puck in the back of the net every time the puck was on his blade.
"Personally I think my season was good," he said. "I had a lot of confidence in myself and I think that translated on ice. As a team we have some steps to take next year. We are a young team, we got to take those steps and I'm excited for next season."
All the work put in to get drafted was step one. Now the real work begins.
Taking part in his first NHL camp alongside Flames prospects at development camp, it's chance to not only show what he brings to the table but also to build on his game.
"It's pretty cool experience to be here with all the guys," he said. "Everyone is friendly and I'm just excited to keep it going here. The first on-ice session was high intensity, with a lot of pace and overall it's been a lot of fun.
"This whole week is a learning experience for me. Trying to learn as much from the everyone here, learn how to be a pro and take it back with me when I head home."