RED DEER - It was an outstanding night for Albertans as the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft took place on Tuesday evening.
The first round of the draft, which was done virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saw six athletes from Alberta drafted to five different teams.
Defenceman Jake Sanderson had the distinction of being the first Alberta product selected, going 5th overall to the Ottawa Senators. The Senators also took Ridly Greig 28th overall with their third pick of the first round.
Former CJHL Player of the Year Dylan Holloway was next off the board, going 14th overall to the Edmonton Oilers. Defenceman Kaiden Guhle was just a few picks behind, as the Montreal Canadiens drafted him with the 16th pick.
The St. Louis Blues selected Jake Neighbours 26th overall, and after the Senators drafted Greig, the San Jose Sharks wrapped up the first round by picking Ozzy Wiesblatt 31st overall.
All six players drafted in the first round are Alberta Elite Hockey League alumni, and also all suited up for Team Alberta (Holloway in 2016, and Sanderson, Guhle, Neighbours, Greig and Wiesblatt in 2017).
Rounds two through seven of the 2020 NHL Draft will conclude on Wednesday.
For a pair of best friends whose hockey journeys have been nearly identical, it’s only fitting they were both selected just five picks apart at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft in October.
When Jake Neighbours and Ozzy Wiesblatt were drafted 26th overall and 31st overall by the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks, respectively, it was not only a tremendous moment for each athlete, but a chance to celebrate each other’s accomplishments.
The two have been nearly inseparable since first hitting the ice together with the Calgary U18 AAA Buffaloes in 2017, and have been a big part of each other’s hockey experiences. Getting to share in each other’s big moment was a familiar, but welcome feeling.
"To go through all these experiences with your best friend is definitely something you cherish," Neighbours said during a recent interview where he and Wiesblatt joined the Centre Ice Podcast.
Whether it was suiting up together for Team Alberta at the 2017 WHL Cup in Calgary, for Team Canada at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, or for Team Red at the 2020 CHL/NHL Top Prospects game, Neighbours and Wiesblatt have spent plenty of time together on hockey’s biggest stages.
But, they’ve also been on opposing sides of centre ice a number of times, including at the 2017 Alberta Cup, the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, and for the last two seasons in the Western Hockey League, with Neighbours a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings, and Wiesblatt with the Prince Albert Raiders.
Although they both admitted there was a bit of a competition to see who would be selected first, the pair agree that it was just a minor detail.
"I was lucky enough to see Jake get picked ahead of me," Wiesblatt said. "I’m happy for him, and it just about brought a little tear to my eye seeing him get picked, it was a special moment for him and his family. We’re competitive, but also very supportive at the same time."
Neighbours echoed that sentiment, adding that he and his family were almost more excited to hear Wiesblatt’s named called by the San Jose Sharks a few picks later.
"I think both of us were kind of hoping we’d be the one to (be drafted) higher, but we knew going into it that we’d probably be pretty close in terms of numbers and where we were going, so we were happy for each other," Neighbours said. "I remember when I found out Ozzy was going, it was almost a bigger reaction from my family and I than when I went, so we have very supportive families, and obviously going in both directions we’re happy for each other."
Although the two have only been close friends since first playing together for the Calgary Buffaloes as 15 year-olds, they’ve leaned on each other heavily for support, a relationship they both point to as a major key to their success both on and off the ice.
"It’s special," said Wiesblatt. "We’ve been through basically everything together with hockey. If it’s Team Alberta events or Team Canada events, we’re going through it together, so it’s definitely made it easier to have someone to talk to and go through it with."
Neighbours said the two maintain a close relationship during the season, but there are times where their competitive nature outweighs their friendship.
"We lean on each other for support, but we are competitors," Neighbours said. "After every game, we’re always texting each other, seeing how each other did. But, I don’t think (Prince Albert) versus Edmonton’s been the friendliest of games over the past couple of years, it’s been two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference going at it, so it’s always a good game with a lot of intensity, and we tend to lean towards our intense and competitive sides more than our friendship during those games."
But, Wiesblatt adds that the competitiveness between the two is a welcome addition, and is a big reason for his success.
"Having a best friend and someone you train with every day that pushes you, I think we can both say we’re very lucky to have that," said Wiesblatt. "It’s been awesome. I haven’t really had a friend that is as competitive as Jake is, and that wants to beat me in every single thing, so it’s fun, and it’s definitely shaped me into the person I am today."
While the two have been through more together in the last few years than many friendships will see in a lifetime, Neighbours looks back fondly on when it all started, and said he can’t wait to see what the future holds.
"We started talking when we were about 13 or 14, I think, and we finally got to meet each other at the Calgary Buffaloes tryouts, and I guess the rest is history. We just kind of hit it off right away, and basically did everything together, and I became this guy’s Uber. Proud to be it though, and I’m looking forward to more Uber rides."
Centre Ice is the brand-new Hockey Alberta podcast, featuring the latest news and views on amateur hockey across the province, with new episodes on the first and third Thursday of the month. Subscribe now on your favourite podcast app!
Episode TWO:
Episode Two of the Centre Ice Podcast looks back on the Albertans selected in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, featuring interviews with first-round draft picks Jake Neighbours, Ozzy Wiesblatt and Kaiden Guhle.
Defenceman Luke Prokop was the first Albertan selected on Wednesday, going in the third round to the Nashville Predators. Garin Bjorklund was the lone Albertan goaltender selected in 2020, as the Washington Capitals took him in the sixth round, 179th overall.
The 17 Albertans drafted hail from 12 different Minor Hockey Associations, 15 are alumni of the Alberta Elite Hockey League, and 10 played for Team Alberta.
A full list of Albertans drafted can be found below:
When NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings in April, 24 Albertans appeared on the list - 20 skaters, and four goaltenders.
Among those is Team Alberta alumnus and Prince Albert Raiders defenceman, Kaiden Guhle, who came in at number eight among North American skaters, and is projected by many to be drafted in the first round.
On the eve of the NHL draft, Guhle said the nerves hadn’t quite kicked in yet.
“I think I’m just a lot more excited, than anything," he said. "Waited a long time for this, got pushed back a bit, and I think I can speak for every kid in saying we’re just happy to finally have it here and to get things started.The nerves are there, but right now I’m not feeling them a whole lot. I bet (Tuesday) when I wake up, getting up early and waiting the whole day for it to happen, I’m sure the nerves will come pretty strong, but right now I think my mom’s a lot more nervous than me."
The 2020 NHL Draft will have a much different look than any other draft. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s draft will be done virtually, much like the 2020 NFL Draft.
Guhle said that although it’s disappointing not to be in Montreal as originally planned, he’s looking forward to sharing the experience at home with family and friends.
"I think in a way, it works out," he said. "I know if I was going to Montreal, you could only bring a handful of family members, you don’t want to pack the whole thing. I’m having 15 people coming to my house (on Tuesday), so I’ll have a lot of people there who have supported me through my whole hockey career."
Guhle adds that the pre-draft process has also been quite different than normal, but it’s still been a memorable experience for him.
"It was a lot of virtual meetings, a lot of Zoom calls," he said. "Obviously, you’d like to meet the teams in person, if we were in Montreal, I’d maybe meet a couple teams right before for one last chat. It’s been a big honour to talk to a lot of those teams, you never know who you’re going to go to, so I want to leave a good impression on all of them and show them my personality and what type of person I am."
The Guhle family is familiar with the NHL Draft process, as Kaiden’s older brother Brendan was drafted 51st overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2015.
Guhle said the influence of his brother, who now plays for the Anaheim Ducks, has been critical to his growth as a player.
"He’s been massive," he said. "I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t the biggest reason (I started playing), he’s the reason I picked up a hockey stick. Watching him growing up, I’ve always wanted to follow his footsteps in that way. He’s been huge for my hockey career, he’s talked to me a lot about this whole draft process – the ups and the downs, teams maybe getting under your skin to see how you react, just trying to keep me level-headed though the whole thing."
Guhle isn’t the only member of the Prince Albert Raiders hailing from Alberta waiting to hear their name called at the draft, as teammate Ozzy Wiesblatt is also expected to be drafted.
"I’ll definitely text him during the draft," Guhle said. "We’ve definitely talked about it and leaned on each other, we’ve been communicating a lot about this. I think there’s a bit of friendly competition, we’re both pretty competitive guys. We like to go at it at practice, and like to make each other mad – we both compete very hard, we both want to make each other better and that’s the only way you’re going to do it. I’ll definitely shoot him a text and see how he is on draft day, I’m sure he’ll be pretty nervous, just like me, so it’s good to get to go through that with him, and get to go through the whole experience with one of my best buddies."
Although it’s easy for a player to speculate as to which team they could end up on, Guhle said he’s not focused on that, and is going to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
"I’m happy with whatever team picks me, I have no preference to where I go," he said. "I think any team that picks me, I am very lucky to be that pick."
Round one of the 2020 NHL Draft kicks off Tuesday night at 5:00 p.m., with rounds two through seven to be held on Wednesday, starting at 9:30 a.m.
Centre Ice is the brand-new Hockey Alberta podcast, featuring the latest news and views on amateur hockey across the province, with new episodes on the first and third Thursday of the month. Subscribe now on your favourite podcast app!
Episode ONe:
The inaugural episode of Centre Ice features Hockey Alberta CEO Rob Litwinski, and the impact of COVID-19 on hockey in Alberta. Rob discusses the postponement/cancellation of hockey on March 12, what’s transpired since then, and takes a deeper dive into the Return to Hockey Plan, and what it means for the future of hockey.
