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Connor Zary didn’t get much sleep on Tuesday.
The Saskatoon native had trouble finding some restful moments hours after living out his dream of being drafted by the Calgary Flames 24th overall in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft.
“I was a little bit restless,” Zary said, still groggy after a night filled with excitement.
“It was tough to fall asleep and tough to stay asleep. I was just so excited.”
Zary had some nervous moments watching the draft drama unfold. Calgary, originally slotted to select 19th overall, traded down twice in the draft – first landing the New York Rangers 22nd pick and then the Washington Capitals 24th pick.
Then, Flames legend Lanny McDonald appeared on the screen to call Zary’s name.
“I got to talk to him for a bit on the phone after I got picked, and that was so special,” Zary said.
“I didn’t know when I’d go. I thought maybe a little bit earlier, but everything fell into place and I kind of thought Calgary would be one of those teams that would take me. It was such a special moment.”
Rather than having an arena full of people with draft stations placed all over the floor of the Bell Centre in Montreal in June, the spread of COVID-19 forced the remaining NHL season to be pushed back. The draft soon followed and moved to a virtual setting in October.
Sitting at his parents’ house in Saskatoon watching trades, rumours and draft selections happen in real-time didn’t calm his nerves, either.
“You just never know when your name is going to get called,” Zary said.
“It was nerve-racking, but I had a lot of family and friends to keep me stay loose and keep it fun.”
Zary admitted his mom helped calm him throughout the night as he watched other Canadian teams like the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens pass him by.
Landing in the first round of the draft became almost certain after Zary remained among the top scorers in the Western Hockey League from the first game of the season to finish fifth in scoring with 86 points.
Beginning to understand his dreams of playing in the NHL could become a reality, Zary is encouraging other children not to focus solely on their dreams, but to also have fun while doing it.
“You got to work hard and do whatever it takes to make it. Never give up and never let anyone tell you you’re not good enough or anything,” Zary said.
“Just have fun. Go to the rink every day and have fun with it. It’s just another day of your life. You’re there for a reason, you’re there to have fun.”
— With files from 650 CKOM’s Justin Blackwell