(S23) - PT2 - Draft Day

[StamkosFan]

The draft was a day of excitement and anticipation. The S22 class of Biblical enormity, with hundreds of users after a massive influx of new folks the past offseason, would be one for the history books, and Thomas Passmann was a part of it. It was nerve wracking waiting for my fate to be announced, and after pleasant conversations with many teams, I had been open to going anywhere, although I hadn’t been expecting to reunite with Yellowknife. Projections had Passmann in the 40-50 range, and it played out exactly as all the media reports predicted. Going to Arizona at my pre-draft ranking was a result I was pleased with, and looking back, I can say it was a great place to wind up. They’ve given me ample opportunity to grow and move up the lineup, and I wouldn’t have wanted to play for any other team. While I had been keen on a reunion with the team my previous player had spent 10 seasons on, the Yellowknife Wraiths, it has been refreshing and enjoyable to go somewhere new and to mesh with the Arizona squad. Having a new experience has proven invaluable to me for maintain my motivation and continuing to work hard and train for the big games.