Top prospects prepared for big moment ahead of 2023 NHL Draft

The 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held Wednesday and Thursday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The first round will be Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 are Thursday (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

NASHVILLE --Adam Fantilli found the perfect way to get away from the stress one day before the start of the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft.

Fantilli, the University of Michigan center who is No. 2 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters presented by BioSteel, did Superman dives and played freeze tag with a few dozen youth hockey players from the Nashville area during a top prospects clinic at Ford Ice Center Bellevue.

"I was kind of ripping around out there with a mini stick, just kind of having fun with some little kids," Fantilli said. "Obviously, this is a big moment in all our lives, and we're all extremely focused on it, but we all like to have fun and we all like to decompress in situations like that. I think that was a lot of fun, and it was pretty needed for a lot of us."

Fantilli was joined by Regina center Connor Bedard, forward Will Smith from the USA National Team Development Program Under-18 team, University of Connecticut forward Matthew Wood and Erie forward Carey Terrance.

In addition to chasing and being chased by the group of kids aged 4-8 he was working with, Fantilli jumped right in line with the other kids that slid on their bellies under some foam mats before popping back up and skating again.

"There's a video out there somewhere, you could find it," he said.

Bedard, who is expected to be chosen by the Chicago Blackhawks with the No. 1 pick, saw the morning as a chance to flash back to what it was like when he first started playing.

"I kind of think back to when you were that age and the excitement you'd have meeting guys you looked up to," he said. "And for us, it's pretty cool that we can kind of be those role models and have that impact on the younger generation."

After fun and games with the youth players, several of the top prospects met with the media at the AllianceBernstein Tower, overlooking the city's famed Broadway strip of restaurants and bars, with country music blaring in the background.

"To be honest, it honestly hasn't really sunk in," Winnipeg forward Zach Benson said. "I'm sure tomorrow morning when I wake up, I'll probably feel a little more nervous."

Brandon center Nate Danielson has struggled to imagine what it will be like to hear his name called Wednesday.

"I've thought about a little bit and honestly, I can't really picture it in my mind," he said. "It's going to be just super exciting. It's just going to be a ton of emotions all at once.

"I've been looking forward to it for a long time. It's going to be a super exciting moment for me, my family, and I'm sure when tomorrow comes I'll start getting a little bit more nervous and have a little nervous energy."

NTDP forward Ryan Leonard said he started feeling the anticipation for Wednesday when he got on the plane for Nashville, and all it's done since then is build.

"It's just excitement," he said. "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. I just can't wait."

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