Best Friends Grabbed By Preds in Round 1
by Jay Levin / Nashville PredatorsThe Preds two picks in the first round go way back. Colin Wilson and Chet Pickard grew up best of friends. In fact, when Pickard was selected, Wilson came running out of his media obligations to give Pickard a big slap on the back.
The two played together from the time they were 9 years old. They played together through travel hockey and in summer leagues, including playing for a team coach by Wilson’s dad, Carey. Ironically, that team wore jersey’s patterned after the Predators former mustard third jersey.They split when Pickard went to play in the WHL and Wilson moved to Ann Arbor for the US National Development program. Their families are close friends, both Colin and Chet have sisters who are close friends with each other.
Both have a similar sense of humor and similar taste in music. Both list Tim McGraw among their favorite artists. Neither have been to Nashville yet, but both look forward to coming down for rookie orientation and doing some exploring around the Music City.
They talked earlier in the day about the possibilities of being selected by the same team. Wilson said he had heard that the Preds were interested in him at the No. 9 slot and Pickard had heard the Preds were looking at him at the No. 15 slot. By the middle of the first round, that dream had become a reality.