Hello hockey fans.
I flew into Calgary on Monday and waited at the airport for about an hour-and-a-half for the other players before we drove to Red Deer. Once we got to the hotel, I unloaded my stuff and came back to the rink, took part in a quick practice and then spoke to the media.
A lot of the questioning centered around NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings and my thoughts on being ranked No. 3 on the list among North American skaters. It's cool to be up with all those other really good players and now it's just a matter of proving everyone right that I deserve to be there. I'm going to continue to work hard to be one of the best.
\[RELATED: Hughes, Kakko top Central Scouting midterm rankings for 2019 NHL Draft\]
We went out as a team on Tuesday to dinner. I got a steak ... almost everyone else there got a steak, too.
On Wednesday we had the on-ice and off-ice testing. I enjoyed the testing a lot. I like comparing myself to other players and would have kept going if there were more tests. The easiest test was just skating forward in the 30-meter sprint. That was probably my favorite one, too. The most challenging was the transition agility with the puck, where you go forward and then pivot backward and then forward again.
When we got the results back, I was surprised to see I finished with the first overall score in the on-ice portion of testing. It was a little confidence-booster finishing first among all the other great players who are here. I'm happy I was able to do it and place well.
Entering the game, I just wanted to play my game, skate fast, show off my speed, make plays when possible and put the puck on net. I was playing for Team Don Cherry and we lost after Team Bobby Orr scored four straight goals in the third period for a 5-4 win.
It was cool playing with and against all these guys who you haven't really played with before; some who you have played with. It was a high-paced game, not a lot of time and space at all but that's what it's going to be like at the next level, so you've got to prepare and adapt for that.
Personally, it was a tough game to play in. I know I can play better but I don't think I made any big mistakes, either. It was just an average game for me.
Most of my family was at the game and it was great seeing them all when it was over. I couldn't stay out too late though because at 8:30 a.m. on Friday morning I had scheduled an English essay that I needed to pass for my Grade 12 high school class. I had to go to one of the public schools here in Red Deer, as did a lot of other players.
Overall, though, this was definitely a great experience, being around all the guys who I know and meeting all the new guys from around the league who are going through the same draft process. It's nice to be able to connect with them and know that we have so much in common. I'll remember this for a long time.
Now it's back to Lethbridge, where we're looking to make a push and go as deep as we can into the WHL playoffs. We have a good team, so we've got to start figuring our stuff out. Once we do, I think we'll be a real scary team and make a strong push into the playoffs.
Thanks for reading this month. Enjoy the NHL All-Star Game.
