No one was more surprised than Prince George Cougars' forward Zach Pochiro when his name was called during the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
"I didn't think I was going to get drafted," said Pochiro. "I had a lot of people saying that if you don't get drafted it's not the end of the world."
The fact the St. Louis Blues had to acquire the fourth-round pick, 121st overall, from the Nashville Predators to select him made getting drafted during Sunday's draft in Newark, N.J., even more special for Pochiro. The 19-year-old call Las Vegas home, but he was born in St. Louis and has always been a fan of its sports teams - the Blues, the NFL Rams and the baseball Cardinals.
"It's an honour to be selected by the Blues," said Pochiro. "I went up which I'm just really ecstatic and happy about."
Pochiro was listed in the final NHL Central Scouting rankings at 173rd for North American skaters. As a WHL rookie with the Cougars, Pochiro finished third in team scoring with 15 goals, 39 points and 105 penalty minutes. Before joining the Cougars he played with the Wichita Falls Wildcats in the North American Hockey League.
In order to keep his mind off the draft and it's implications, Pochiro said he spent the day at a friend's house.
"My family advisor told me they did not want me to think about it, just go swimming or golfing or something," said Pochiro. "I was just laying by the pool hanging out, trying to keep my mind off of things and, boom, I found out."
Pochiro found out he was drafted when Cougars general manager Dallas Thompson called to congratulate him, though at first he was a little confused as to what NHL team picked him.
"It was a Phoenix, Arizona number which shocked me," said the six-foot-one, 170-pound centre. "I thought I got drafted to the Coyotes when I saw the number. He said congratulations. I was just so happy that I even got drafted that at the end of the conversation I said, 'Can you tell me who it was?' He said, the St. Louis Blues. And I just like broke down."
A couple rounds later the Cougars had a second player drafted when the Detroit Red Wings claimed six-foot-six, 196-pound defenceman Marc McNulty in the six round, 169th overall.
"I'm so happy that he got drafted he's a great guy, but in a way I'm really happy I got drafted before him because a little competition in the locker room wouldn't hurt," said Pochiro.
McNulty, an 18-year-old from Medicine Hat played his first full season on the Cougars blueline last year, accumulating 15 points in 52 games, including eight goals. McNulty was listed at 105th in the Central Scouting rankings. He was drafted by the Cougars in the 10th round of the 2010 WHL bantam draft.
The Red Wings have a history of finding gems in the late rounds of the draft. In 1999 they selected a Swedish player by the name of Henrik Zetterberg in the seventh round, 210th overall.
McNulty, Pochiro and forward Troy Bourke will all be back in Prince George for the second annual charity golf tournament in August before heading off to rookie camps with their NHL teams. Bourke was taken in the third round of the 2012 draft by the Colorado Avalanche.
"They said it was more about teaching you the proper nutrition and how to properly lift weights, nothing big," said Pochiro. "We'll probably go to some baseball games. They just kind of want to congratulate you in a way on being drafted."
There were 33 WHL players selected by NHL teams during the 2013 draft, led by Portland Winterhawks defenceman Seth Jones, fourth overall to Nashville. The other WHL players selected in the first round were: Prince Albert's Josh Morrissey (13th, Winnipeg), Brandon's Ryan Pulock (15th, NY Islanders), Edmonton's Curtis Lazar (17th, Ottawa), Everett's Mirco Mueller (18th, San Jose), Medicine Hat's Hunter Shinkaruk (24th, Vancouver), Seattle's Shea Theodore (26th, Anaheim) and Regina's Morgan Klimchuk (28th, Calgary).
Cougars goalie Brett Zarowny (listed 29th for North American goaltenders) and Spruce Kings defenceman Kevin Guiltinan (listed 162nd) didn't hear their names called.
Pochiro said being drafted is just the first step towards a professional hockey career, adding there's still a lot of work to do before kids start chasing him down for his autograph like he recalls doing when Al MacInnis was captain of the Blues.
"There were lots of people trying to get his autograph and the guy took the time to actually look me in the eyes and say, 'Here's your autograph kid," that was really nice," said Pochiro. "This is just the beginning."
