Draft favorite Shane Wright said the No. 4 pick on the final list will only fuel him.
Before the draft, the Canadian center-forward called himself the best player in the draft and expected to be selected at number one overall.
In the end, the Kingston forward from the Ontario Junior League went only 4th to Seattle.
Montreal, New Jersey, and Arizona, who had the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd picks, selected Juraj Slafkovsky, Simon Nemec, and Logan Cooley respectively.
Yes, there will be more motivated. I’m always motivating myself, pushing myself forward internally. But it will definitely add to the fire.
Sometimes teams take the most suitable player for them. At the end of the day, it’s not my decision. Obviously, you want to be picked as high as possible. But I can’t influence the selection by sitting in the stands. Okay, fine. I was fine.
I got picked by an NHL club. I fulfilled my lifelong dream. I got picked by an amazing team in Seattle with a great future ahead of me. I wouldn’t say I was relieved. I experienced excitement mixed with pride. It’s a great honor to be drafted.