By Alan Harrington
July 10th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
The NHL Draft was held this past week in Montreal.
The 60th time for this showcase of talent where the NHL Teams get to pick the finest young hockey players from around the world.
Usually the BEST players are from Canada – but this time – a Slovakian was chosen first overall.
2022’s first pick overall was by the Montreal Canadiens for Juraj Slafkovsky – a player from Slovakia .
If that wasn’t enough for Slovakia, the 2nd player chosen – Simon Nemec – is also a player from that nation – chosen by New Jersey..
The third player – Logan Cooley – an American from Pittsburgh was taken by Arizona.
Where are the Canadians?
Shane Wright was an outstanding payer when he was with the Kingston Frontenacs. Seen as the # 1 draft pick in 2022.
Especially since Ontario-born players make up about a fifth of the NHL players?
Well the answer came next as the Seattle Kraken embraced the services of Shane Wright to join their team.
Shane Wright is a Canadian – 18 years old – playing for Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL as a centre.
Shane was drafted by Kingston with “exceptional player status” becoming only the sixth player to be granted exceptional status after the likes of: John Tavares and Connor McDavid, . (And that was mentioned in the Burlington Gazette back on February 8 2021).
In 2020, Shane’s first year – he won the CHL Rookie of the Year award. Sidney Crosby won that award back in 2004 and John Tavares in 2006
So what hometown claims Shane Wright as their own??
Burlington, Ontario – birth home of the first Canadian hockey player selected in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Here is how the sports world told the story:
“You gotta feel for Shane Wright. He was labeled as the top draft prospect in his class when he was granted exceptional status into the OHL as a 15-year-old back in 2019. It was pretty much Shane Wright and Matthew Savoie at the time.
Then Shane Wright took off and put up 66 points in 58 games as an under-ager during his first season with the Kingston Frontenacs to really separate himself as the consensus 1st overall pick. Then the global pandemic happened, then Juraj Slafkovsky had a preposterous draft year by being the leading scorer in the Olympics as a 17-year-old and also had over a point per game at the World Championships for Slovakia. There were rumblings a few weeks before the draft that the race would be tight between Shane Wright and Slafkovsky for the top pick but you figured the Montreal Canadiens would have to take the Canadian kid.
Selected as the 4th draft pick Shane Wright will play for the Seattle Kraken
Then the days leading up to the draft there was a lot of chatter that Slafkovsky could be the pick. And then last night with the 1st overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the host Montreal Canadiens select…
For over a year, Shane Wright was labelled as the #1 pick.
Then when last night came around, not only did he not get taken off the board 1st overall but New Jersey didn’t need another center with the 2nd pick.
Then Arizona decided to stick with their plan and take Logan Cooley with the 3rd pick.
Finally the fourth overall pick came around for Seattle and somehow Shane Wright fell into their lap.
The first time the Seattle Kraken play Montreal will be a game to watch. Shane Wright is said to be very very upset – admits that he has a chip on his shoulder now.
