Hockey Guy: The Last Pick In The NHL Draft, Tyler Peddle, Didn't Leave His Seat All Day Because He Didn't Want To Miss His Name Getting Called
Bruce Bennett. Getty Images.32 names were called on Wednesday night in the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Tyler Peddle was a former 2nd overall pick in the QMJHL. He's had a couple decent seasons playing for Drummondville, but I doubt Peddle figured his name would be one of those first 32 called on Wednesday.
So then Thursday rolls around. You have the remainder of the draft with rounds 2 through 7 going rapid fire all day. Some scouts said they could see Peddle being a good value pick in the 3rd or 4th rounds. He's not a point per game type of player, but it looks like he's the type of guy who can add some solid offensive production to your bottom 6 forward group. But after 128 names were called through the first 4 rounds of the draft, Tyler Peddle's name wasn't one of them.
160 names, still nothing. 192 names, not yet. That's a long ass couple of days to travel to Nashville to be at the draft in person, and all of a sudden you're running the risk of not getting your name called at all.
But then with the final pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, the Vegas Golden Knights traded out of pick 224 with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
What a moment for the young man. I'm sure that if he didn't get drafted at all, he'd still leave Nashville with a team picking up his rights as an undrafted free agent. But I'd imagine there's something ridiculously awesome about getting your name called up to that stage whether it's pick 1 or pick 224. You're 18-years-old and your entire life up to that moment has been working towards that goal. And clearly it meant enough to him to not get out of his seat for even a moment throughout the entire day.
And now all of a sudden the kid I'm rooting for the most to make it to the league (besides Matvei Michkov) is Tyler Peddle. You gotta love that mentality. So many kids these days are so hellbent on the "I took that personally" mindset. They all feel like they have haters and doubters to prove wrong. It's the goddamn worst. But to see a kid like Tyler Peddle have to sit there the whole day before hearing his name called with the last pick, and then having the mentality to prove the Blue Jackets right instead of proving every other team wrong? That's a kid you can work with right there.