The first round of the NHL draft went last night, with seven players from the WHL being selected by big league clubs.
Braden Schneider from Prince Albert and Connor Zary of Saskatoon were two prospects from Saskatchewan selected Tuesday night in the first round. Several more WHL prospects are hoping to hear their name called, including Regina Pats defenceman Ryker Evans.
Evans, who joined 620 CKRM’s the Sportscage Tuesday afternoon, says it’s an exciting feeling knowing what could happen Wednesday.
“I think about (how) teams are interested and your name could be called, but I definitely don’t try to think too far ahead,” Evans said. “I just try to keep myself in the moment, what happens happens, and it doesn’t change the way I do things.”
Evans joined the Pats ahead of the 2018-19 season. He has scored eight goals and 42 points from the blueline, while registering a -31 plus/minus rating in 108 games on a rebuilding Pats team for the last two years.
Evans says this has been a dream of his for many years.
“Since I was a kid and I figured out what the NHL was, it’s kid of a dream of mine to make it, and it would be an honour to be selected.”
Evans says whether or not he gets picked will not change his preparation for this year.
“The way I see it is that the work doesn’t stop there once you’ve been drafted or undrafted, it actually begins,” Evans said. “It’s where you got to work harder to prove to yourself that you belong to move up to the next level.”
Round two of the NHL entry draft starts at 9:30 AM Saskatchewan time on Wednesday.
