Local players Knighted
Waterloo Region hockey players drafted by NHL’s newest franchise in Las Vegas
The Las Vegas Golden Knights have rolled the dice on two local hockey players.
The expansion club bet on Kitchener defenceman Nic Hague and Waterloo forward Ben Jones in this past weekend’s National Hockey League draft as the rookie franchise takes its first steps in forging a future.
Hague didn’t have to wait long to hear his name on day two of the draft Saturday morning.
The Mississauga Steelheads blueliner had just settled into Chicago’s United Center when the Golden Knights made him the third pick of the second round (34th overall).
“It was definitely a special moment I will never forget,” said the hulking six-foot-five, 215pound rearguard. “I’m excited and pumped about Vegas. It’s a young team and it’s going to be fun to be apart of it.”
Some scouting services had Hague as a potential first round pick and that had the 18-year-old a tad anxious as he sat in the stands during Friday night’s opening round. “It was a little disappointing to be honest,” he said of being bypassed in the first 31 selections.
“But it’s going to motivate me to be better. In the end it’s not about when you go but about where you go and I ended up in a good situation.”
Jones was prepared to wait a bit longer to hear his name coming into the draft and was finally rewarded in the seventh and final round when the Golden Knights added him with the 189th pick overall.
“It kind of sucked sitting there and waiting,” the Niagara IceDogs forward admitted. “There were moments where doubts started to creep in but thankfully it all worked out. It’s something I’ve always dreamed about since I was a little kid. The emotions are kind of indescribable.”
Waterloo native Nathan Schnarr also slipped on an NHL sweater Saturday after the Arizona Coyotes selected the Guelph Storm forward in the third round of the draft (the 75th pick overall).
Several Kitchener Rangers were draft eligible but for the second time in the past three years none were taken.
However, Swedish forward Lias Andersson was chosen seventh overall by the New York Rangers while defenceman Tyler Inamoto went to the Florida Panthers in the fifth round. Both are Kitchener draft picks that have yet to commit to the OHL club.
Hague grew up playing minor hockey with the Kitchener Jr. Rangers while Jones skated for Waterloo, before joining the Toronto Marlboros program leading up to his OHL draft year.
“It’s nice to have a familiar face on the team,” said Hague, who attended the draft with an entourage of family and friends. “Las Vegas has all new facilities and everything is going to be first class. We’re going to be apart of the first wave of prospects for the team and that’s extremely exciting for us.”
Hague turned to parents Sheila and Bob and gave them a hug immediately after he was drafted. It was his way of saying thanks for all the years of support.
Jones too was grateful to folks Debbie and Lyndon and was surrounded by seven other friends and family members in Chicago to mark the moment.
“It was incredible to share it with them,” said the 18-year-old. “Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today.”