Foudy aims to be first-round pick at 2018 NHL Draft

Liam Foudy always believed if he got the right amount of ice time that he would be able to show NHL scouts his talent level.
The forward got his chance in the second half of the season with London of the Ontario Hockey League and made the most of it.
Foudy, 18, had 40 points (24 goals, 16 assists) in 65 games this season and is No. 19 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters for the 2018 NHL Draft, to be held June 22-23 at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The first round is June 22 (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVAS). Rounds 2-7 are June 23 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS).

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Foudy had 33 points (20 goals, 13 assists) in his final 30 games; he had seven points (four goals, three assists) in his first 35 games.
"I just did a lot of extra work after practice, doing that knowing that when I got my chance I'd be ready, putting extra things in," Foudy (6-foot, 179 pounds) said. "That leads to when you get your chance, be ready. I tried to think positive during that time, even though I wasn't getting a lot of time. I tried to take the positives out of certain situations, and that helped me when I got my chance."
Standing in Foudy's way in the first half of the season were some older forwards, among them Alex Formenton (Ottawa Senators), Robert Thomas (St. Louis Blues), Cliff Pu (Buffalo Sabres) and Max Jones (Anaheim Ducks). That changed following a roster shakeup.
"They had their roles and I was playing a lesser role there," he said. "At the deadline they all got traded except for Formenton, (and) my role increased. I had to take up their role, got [coach Dale Hunter's] trust and things took off from there and went well."

Foudy was No. 91 in Central Scouting's midterm rankings despite his lack of playing time.
"Early on the in the year, we saw what we thought was a top-end player and his playing time was really limited," Central Scouting senior manager David Gregory said. "He dropped a little bit only because we couldn't get a read. But as we saw him play and as his playing time went up, he showed us what we thought he was and even more from what the beginning of the year said. He's earned his status to be a first-round rank for us."
That Foudy is a successful athlete isn't a surprise; his father, Sean Foudy, played defensive back in the Canadian Football League for six seasons (1989-94). His mother, France Gareau, won a silver medal for Canada in the 4x100 relay at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
While developing his hockey skills, Foudy also ran track.
"[Track] was my main thing, going to OFSAA's (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations)," he said. "I hold two records in the 300-meter hurdles, and I won the 100-meter hurdles in Grade 10. Grade 9 summer I went to nationals, where I came in second in the 100-meter hurdles and won the 200-meter hurdles."
But when London chose him with the No. 18 pick of the 2016 OHL draft, he made hockey his full-time sport.
Foudy may not be a sprinter anymore, but he's still incorporating some of his track training into his hockey workouts. He believes fast on the track equals fast on the ice.
"They definitely correlate with the fast-twitch muscles," Foudy said. "The fast-twitch muscle is going to help you no matter what; it's almost the same stride. That helps me a lot. That's why when I started skating, I was naturally fast."
Foudy said he's looking forward to next season when he expects to have more playing time with London. He's also ready to help energize London's rivalry with Windsor, which will feature his brother, forward Jean-Luc Foudy, 16, who was selected with the No. 10 pick of the 2018 OHL draft. Liam said their road hockey battles could get intense.
"It's going to be interesting playing against him," Liam said. "Never played against him in my life on the ice. We're going to have some good battles out there. Now we have refs to stop us from going all-out."