MONTREAL -- Hello hockey fans, from the NHL Draft at Bell Centre.
I have so many mixed emotions right now. It still feels like a dream. To be able to have my family here, celebrating with them, and to be able to get drafted by the Arizona Coyotes. I feel like they have such a bright future so I'm super pumped to be part of it.
I think with this draft, no one really knew what was going to happen at the top so it's not like I wasn't expecting it. I knew if Arizona was going to get the pick, I felt comfortable because I had a chance to meet with them a good amount and go to dinner with them. I felt a really good connection with them, so I'm super pumped.
I had dinner with them and thought that was a team that was most interested in me, but before the pick, I had no idea until they announced it officially. I'm real excited to be a part of Coyotes' organization and I can't wait to get started.
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I don't know anyone personally on Arizona's team, but I've played against guys like (forward prospect) Josh Doan and obviously guys like Clayton Keller ... (forward prospect) Dylan Guenther too. There's such a bright future and I can't wait to get started with them.
I've never actually been to Arizona, but my family has been there a good amount of time. They told me nothing but great things and I'm really looking forward to getting there to see for myself.
It was a busy, but exciting week. When I first got in late Tuesday night, I went to dinner with my agents and then kind of just hung out the rest of the day. On Wednesday, I was pretty busy with media things. I had the chance to skate with little kids at the Montreal practice rink at the Top Prospects Clinic and then, from there, did more media. We then attended the 2022 NHL Gaming World Championship, which was really cool. On Thursday morning, we had a prospects family breakfast (sponsored by Scotiabank).
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman talked to us for a little while and then I kind of just hung out with my family. I had more media then met with the Philadelphia Flyers about two hours before the first round of draft before different media people came into my room -- I was kind of busy the whole day.
It seemed to take forever to get to the draft, but I'm so happy everything went well.
I didn't look at my phone as I was making the rounds with the media after being chosen by Arizona but I felt it buzzing. We had a big watch party back home in Pittsburgh because not everyone could come with all the different vaccines and make the trip with flights getting canceled but I'm super happy that my family was here.
I'd sum up my experience this week by saying I'm just really glad I got to experience it with my family. Especially my parents. They've taken me to so many places. Hockey's so busy all the time and it's something that we've looked forward to for so long, especially during the past two years at the NTDP. So for it to finally happen the way it did is pretty special.
Thank you very much for reading my diary this season. Hope you enjoyed it. I'm now looking forward to my freshman season at the University of Minnesota. See you down the road!
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