NHL Draft Day is now Draft Weekend but it'll likely just be a one-day deal for at least one Moose Jaw Warrior, possibly two.
Sophomore forward Brian Sutherby enters the draft ranked eighth by Central Scouting among North American skaters, meaning it's quite possible he'll become only the fourth Warrior ever selected in the first round Saturday in Calgary, joining the likes of Jamie Lundmark (1999), Matt Higgins (1996) and Ryan Smyth (1994).
For the first time the NHL has split the draft into two days with the first three rounds running Saturday. Rookie Ben Knopp is ranked 42nd among North American skaters, giving him a good shot at joining Sutherby as a Saturday selection.
"I'm getting pretty excited," Sutherby said, prior to leaving from his Edmonton home for Calgary where he had a pre-draft meeting and testing with the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils. "I'm not really too nervous . . . more excited than anything. My dad's actually more excited than me."
As top prospects, both Sutherby and Knopp were in Toronto with other prospects, meeting with various NHL teams. Sutherby met with 18 squads; Knopp met with 22.
Other Warriors with draft hopes are forward Steve Crampton (65th), forward Sean Connors (84th), defenseman Deryk Engelland (115th), forward Bobby-Chad Mitchell (187th) and netminder Sean O'Connor (19th among North American goaltenders).
The 6'2", 177-pound Sutherby missed 25 games last year due to a serious shoulder injury but maintained his eighth-spot on the Central Scouting list, second among Western Hockey Leaguers.
"I've got no preferences," the 18-year old Sutherby said. "I don't care who and I don't care when . . . I just want to get drafted.
"I've heard so many different things that I haven't set a goal," he added. "I was a sixth round pick in the (1997) Bantam Draft so you never know. There are no guarantees."
Knopp, who elected to play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League as a 16-year old before joining the Warriors last season, was the club's second-leading scorer with 30 goals and 28 assists.
Still, his Central Scouting ranking dipped from 33 at the mid-term to 42nd at season's end. He was among the top 40 selected to play in the annual Prospects Game and notched a key assist as Team Bobby Orr beat Team Don Cherry 6-3 in front of 10,356 at Toronto's Air Canada Centre.
Exciting, to say the least, but nothing compares to draft day.
"I'm pretty excited and a little bit nervous," Knopp said from his home in Calgary. "You never know when your name is going to get called.
"I'm trying to be optimistic but at the same time I don't want to get my expectations up too high. I'm hoping to get picked Saturday but if I get picked at all I'll be happy. I just want the opportunity."
While Knopp's stock dropped a tad, Crampton's rose considerably, jumping from a mid-term ranking of 100 to 65.
"I'm pretty confident I'll get picked but I have no idea when," said the Winnipeg native who, in his second year with the Warriors, scored 22 goals and set up 20 others. "There are a couple of teams who said they might pick me in the fourth.
"I'm not really expecting too much," he added. "I'm keeping my expectations kind of low and if anything happens, it's a bonus."
Other Warriors ranked by Central Scouting are forward Sean Connors (84th), defenseman Deryk Engelland (115th), forward Bobby-Chad Mitchell (187th) and netminder Sean O'Connor (20th among North American goaltenders).
