Breakfast at Schneithorst's

MONTREAL -- Chris Wideman wasn't at the Bell Centre when the Senators made him a fourth-round pick (100th overall) in 2009.

After consulting with his parents, Gary and Julie, about making the trip, it was decided that he'd watch the events unfold from his hometown of St. Louis.
Wideman was in his second year of eligibility for the Draft and hadn't been featured in Central Scouting's final rankings of North American skaters, so staying in Missouri seemed like a good call.
"My parents were kind of under the idea that it's better to not be there and get drafted than to be there and not get drafted. I was one of those guys that wasn't too sure what was going to happen," said Wideman, who enjoyed a productive freshman campaign with Miami University heading into the event. "I had spoken with a few teams and there was a chance I could get drafted, but there was nobody telling me, 'Hey, you need to be there because your name is going to get called.' Knowing all of that information, I think we probably made the right decision."

While the veteran defenseman admits that he "would have loved to have been there" in person, the manner in which he ultimately learned of his selection "about an hour and a half after it happened" is memorable to say the least.
It's also a cautionary tale for eligible draftees who aren't traveling to Montreal this week…
"I had been at a buddy's house the night before and just kind of lost track of time and my phone wasn't charged. The next day, I was actually out to breakfast with a few of my friends at a place in our neighborhood, Schneithorst's Restaurant & Bar, and the NHL Draft was on the TV. I was like, 'I should probably turn my phone on, just in case,' kind of like half-joking, so I gave my phone to the server and she plugged it in. Maybe 20 or 30 minutes later, I asked if I could have my phone back and I had all these missed calls and voicemails and text messages," recalled the 32-year-old with a laugh. "I started going through them and I told my buddies, 'Hey, I think I just got drafted in the NHL.' We went over to the TV, and sure enough it's past the fourth round, but they're showing the picks and I saw my name. We were going nuts."
The Canadiens blueliner even remembers "the late Bryan Murray on my voicemail more than once asking me where I was and if this was the correct phone number" as the former Senators general manager sought to welcome him aboard.
Amidst all the jubilation, though, Wideman was still somewhat in a state of shock that he'd been picked.
"Being drafted the second year I was eligible was kind of a surprise. I had a good year at school, but it's not very common. I feel like now there's more kids getting drafted out of college, but back then it was a lot more European players, a lot more Major Junior players, so just getting picked and being recognized, I was very proud," said Wideman. "It kind of gave me that goal, 'Ok, one day I want to be an Ottawa Senator,' and being able to achieve that was one of the greatest achievements of my life."

Wideman "didn't know anything about the team" and "didn't know much about the city" when he was selected, aside from the fact that players like Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza were the talk of the town.
Then he had a little fun at a current teammate's expense…
"I do know that I was definitely picked in the round ahead of Mike Hoffman that year, which was kind of nice. Somebody in the Senators' scouting department had it right picking me before him," cracked Wideman. "I was their guy. They got me and they're like, 'Alright, I guess we'll take Hoffman, too.'"
These days, it isn't lost on Wideman that he calls the host venue for his Draft home.
He appreciates everything about the building.
"The older I've gotten and the longer my career has been fortunately able to go, there's all these little things that are kind of just intertwined. When you really sit back and think about it, a lot of stuff happens for a reason, and I'm a big believer in that," mentioned Wideman. "Any night in the Bell Centre, whether you're there for a Habs game, an NHL Draft, or a concert, it's a special night. It's an amazing place, and I'm very fortunate to be able to play home games there."

As for his Draft story, he wouldn't change a thing.
"It ended up working out. The story and everything that's kind of played out is just perfect for my personality," concluded Wideman, who boasts 245 games of NHL experience between Ottawa, Edmonton, Florida and Montreal. "I'm just happy as can be and just thankful to have the opportunity."