Montreal Canadiens' Saturday picks 'surreal' for young draftees
Eight players had stars in their eyes Saturday as Montreal locked in their NHL draft picks:
- Forward Riley Kidney (63rd overall)
- Forward Oliver Kapanen (64th overall)
- Defenseman Dmitri Kostenko (87th overall)
- Defenseman William Trudeau (113th overall)
- Defenseman Daniil Sobolev (142nd overall)
- Forward Joshua Roy (150th overall)
- Forward Xavier Simoneau (191st overall)
- Goalie Joe Vrbetic (214th overall)
Riley Kidney of the Quebec Junior Hockey League's Acadie-Bathurst Titan joined the Canadiens prospect pool at the end of the second round, picked 63rd overall.
The five-foot-11, 168-pound centre said being drafted was "a dream come true."
"It kind of feels surreal right now. My phone's blowing up," he said, silencing a call. "Words can't describe how I feel right now."
“When I was younger, I was always watching them,” he said.
It's a Canadian team. It's a historic franchise.”
For those unacquainted with the young player, he described his playstyle as “aggressive,” adding that he takes tips from Mitch Marner and Montreal’s own Nick Suzuki.
“They both have great vision. When I watch them, I try to model my game off of them.”
Oliver Kapenen, who followed Kidney’s pick, didn’t hide his excitement to join Montreal.
“I can't believe it happened,” he said, speaking to reporters via video conference.
“I'm feeling good right now,” he said, adding fans can expect him to make plays with or without the puck.
Kapanen is the cousin of Kasperi Kapanen, who plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played for the Kalevan Pallo junior team in Finland, recording 41 points in 37 games. He also represented Finland at the World Under-18 Championship.
William Trudeau, a Quebecer himself, “jumped with joy” when he heard his name.
Trudeau joined the Charlottetown Islanders as a defenseman in 2019 and has played 98 games with the franchise. So far, he’s scored 12 regular season goals and eight more in the playoffs.
He promised the team “won’t regret their pick.”
Russian-born Sobolov, who responded to reporter questions with the aid of a Russian-language interpreter, has never been to Montreal.
He’s been to the playoffs twice in his home country, offering two goals and four assists over 48 games in the 2019-2020 season.
He’ll stay on with the Windsor Spitfires, with whom he has yet to play a game, until he’s called to Montreal.
“I know Montreal is a beautiful city,” he said, according to his interpreter.
Another Quebecer was next in line – Joshua Roy said he was playing softball with his family when he heard the news.
“Everybody came running to tell me that I was picked by Montreal in the sixth round. It was fun to experience that moment with them. I left the game because I was too excited.”
The 17-year-old made the QMJHL playoffs most-recently with the Sherbrooke Phoenix, scoring once and assisting three times, with 13 goals in his back pocket from the regular season.
“I've been following the Canadiens since I was a kid,” he told reporters. “It's also an honor for my parents and my grandparents because they're big fans of the Canadiens, too.”
The third Quebecer to be called to the Bleu Blanc Rouge was Xavier Simoneau.
Simoneau, who stands at 5’7”, brought the Drummondville Voltigeurs to the QMJHL playoffs three times since 2017.
Most recently, he pushed 10 goals and 27 assists in 27 regular season games.
“It's a dream to be drafted,” he said. “I feel like a kid. I was really moved and happy.”
Dmitri Kostenko and Joe Vrbetic did not give interviews after their picks.
Kostenko, another Russian-born player, represented his country twice in the international junior team before joining the grown-up league. He's had two playoff runs in Russia's U18 and MHL providing 2 goals and 22 assists after 18 playoff games.
Ontarian goalie Joe Vrbetic logged a .881 save percentage with the OHL North Bay Battalion across 42 games last year.
-- With files from Canadian Press Reporter Gemma Karstens-Smith
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.