NASHVILLE — There was something beautiful about seeing the immense joy in Tyler Peddle’s face even after he was the very last pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Present in Nashville, the striker narrowly avoided the worst of feelings.
A few months ago, Peddle, of the Drummondville Voltigeurs, was seen as a second-round prospect. Thursday, he found himself living the nightmare of having moved to the draft and hearing the name of all the hopes, except his own.
That was before the Columbus Blue Jackets decided to make a trade to acquire the last pick (224th) and extricate him from his bad dream.
“I was completely in shock when I realized I was the last choice. It’s one of the scariest things about moving on and not being drafted. In a second, it became the most beautiful moment of my life”, testified Peddle who will need time to recover from so many emotions.
His agent Philippe Lecavalier had to manage this not obvious situation.
“It was a real rollercoaster of emotions. He was warned that he was classified from the end of the fifth round. It could therefore be that he came out a little earlier or that he was not drafted, ”noted Lecavalier at RDS.ca.
“A youngster doesn’t expect this scenario when he’s been invited to the top prospects game and the Combine,” admitted the agent.
What was supposed to be a memorable week with loved ones in Nashville turned into a harrowing, but formative experience.
“I was so stressed, I didn’t know what to think. It was difficult and we didn’t expect that, ”acknowledged Peddle, who had a season well below expectations.
You would have thought that Peddle would have cleared his mind by taking a walk around the Bridgestone Arena once or twice, but he preferred to stay in his seat as the names flashed before his eyes.
“The more the draft progressed, the more nervous Tyler and his family became and that’s normal. You don’t want to believe that could happen. Towards the end, when there were around 10 selections left, he no longer felt like being there. At this point, he found it very, very hard, ”said Lecavalier.
Ironically, after those long hours of waiting and all the names that echoed over the microphone, Peddle didn’t hear his own when it was spoken. The reason is good since his family had exploded with joy as soon as his junior team was announced.
“It was a big low followed by a big high. It was quite incredible and it changed in such a short time, it was still a special feeling,” mentioned Lecavalier.
Despite his experience, Lecavalier does not remember being involved in a similar case.
“Not with similar emotions. Some guys came out very late or they weren’t picked, but they didn’t move in the draft. When we know that there is a fairly high risk that a player will not be drafted, he stays at home. You’re better off having good news at home than bad news at the draft. The odds of Tyler not being drafted weren’t very high,” Lecavalier said.
Rounds five through seven lead teams to stock up on players they can study longer before having to sign a contract with them. The regulations therefore favor the selection of players from American universities or Europe, which prevented some Quebec skaters from being chosen.
A message to change its approach
This progress can be interpreted as a message to Peddle to change his way of playing.
“I know that I have to work on a few aspects of my game including being more conscientious of my game without the puck, it’s a big part of working to be ready to play at the professional level,” he commented. .
“I don’t see it as a cue like, ‘You looked like a pig, you didn’t listen to our advice.’ That’s not it with Tyler, he works hard and he wants to succeed. But sometimes, when such a situation occurs, it means that you no longer take anything for granted afterwards, ”interpreted Lecavalier.
A scout consulted before the draft gave a sense of the perception that spread across his counterparts.
“For Tyler, it was a disaster this year. He was able to demonstrate his limitations even if it’s boring to say. They changed coaches and they tried everything, but he kept playing the same way from the first day to the last even though it didn’t work. It has become a big obstacle. ”
“When we say that you remember your draft all your life, him, with the whole range of emotions, he will never, ever forget that”, concluded Lecavalier when it now comes down to Peddle who sounds motivated to react appropriately.
