Fantilli, who could be No. 2 pick, joins 'NHL Draft Class' podcast

BUFFALO --Adam Fantilli got an early lesson on what life could be like in the NHL while playing for Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Championship.

The 18-year-old University of Michigan forward was the only prospect for the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft to play for Canada at the tournament. He said the roster of NHL veterans welcomed him warmly.

"They were amazing, all the older guys and the younger guys," Fantilli said on the latest edition of the "NHL Draft Class" podcast. "... In terms of the older guys that kind of helped me figure it out was (Philadelphia Flyers center) Scott Laughton, (Calgary Flames forwards) Tyler Toffoli [and] Milan Lucic. They were amazing guys to just watch and they did an amazing job of bringing me in and helping me figure out how to navigate the locker room and watch their practice habits and stuff like that."

Fantilli, No. 2 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters presented by BioSteel, arrived here for the 2023 NHL Scouting Combine presented by adidas on Tuesday night and was scheduled to meet with 11 teams, including the Anaheim Ducks, who have the No. 2 pick in the draft, on Wednesday.

"It went well," he said. "No complaints at all. Hopefully I did well."

Fantilli also discussed why he won't take part in any of the fitness testing, and whether he felt he was ready for the NHL next season or would return to Michigan for a second season.

Forward William Smith of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team also joined the show. Smith, No. 5 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American forwards, will continue a family tradition by playing at Boston College next season.

"I think I'm the 14th guy to go in the family," Smith said.

The podcast is free, and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms, including iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts. It also is available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.

Listen: New episode of NHL Draft Class