Joseph drafted by Coyotes
Pierre-Olivier Joseph became the highest drafted player in Charlottetown Islanders/P.E.I. Rocket franchise history on Friday.
The Arizona Coyotes selected the defenceman 23rd overall in Chicago.
Islanders head coach Jim Hulton and associate coach Guy Girourard were at the draft.
“He’s a pretty special kid and to be able to see one of his dreams come true, and see how excited he was, is just awesome,” Hulton said moments after Joseph was selected.
The six-foottwo, 163-pound Joseph interviewed with 29 of the 31 NHL teams leading into the draft.
“As good as he is, I’m sure it’s got to be a relief. . . It’s been a pressure-packed second half of the year,” Hulton said. “As exciting as it is, it’s also mentally draining.”
The Chambly, Que., native, who turns 18 on Canada Day, was the Islanders fifth-round pick (78th overall) in the 2015 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft.
“It’s a feather in the cap in the program,” Hulton said. “A lot of credit has to go (former general manager) Grant (Sonier) and (former head scout) Gilles (Tremblay), I mean this kid was a fifth-round Quebec leaguer. . . Those guys had the foresight to see something in him that a lot of other people didn’t.”
While the emotional stress of not knowing is over, there will be little time to soak it all in.
“There’s no relaxing,” Hulton said. “He’s probably on a flight to Arizona within the next three days for development camp.”
When NHL team officials asked Hulton where he thought Joseph would be drafted, his stock answer was 25-45. A Coyotes official told him he’d be gone by then.