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BY
BRENDAN McCARTHY,
The Telegram
The picks were
flipping and so was Luke Adam’s stomach.
Adam, the leading scorer in Newfoundland AAA
midget league last season, was selected by the St.
John’s Fog Devils seventh overall in the Quebec
Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft, held
Saturday in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
But
not before a nervous couple of days.
Adam
wanted badly to play in his home town. The Fog
Devils liked him, but had decided not to trade up
from the seventh pick. But many other teams had
spoken with Adam and had indicated they were
interested in choosing him.
The
Acadie-Bathurst Titan, who held the sixth overall
pick, just before the Fog Devils, were one of
them.
Word
came out late Friday that Bathurst had dealt the
pick to Drummondville, but the Voltigeurs then
forwarded it to the Rimouski Oceanic in another
deal.
“That sixth pick was freakin’ me out all week,”
said Adam, just after his selection by St. John’s.
“That was the one that was stopping me from
getting here (to the Fog Devils). So I was really
worried when that pick started getting moved, but
it’s just a great feeling right now.
“Ever since day one, I wanted to play at home.
That’s where I wanted to play. I wanted to be a
Fog Devil and I’m proud to be a Devil.”
And
the Fog Devils are happy to have the six-foot-one,
205-pound centre, who had been ranked sixth
overall by the QMJHL’s central scouting service
and fourth overall by ISS, and independent
scouting service.
“We
kind of knew (Friday) night, he would get to us,”
said Fog Devils’ head coach/general manager Real
Paiement.
‘And
now that it’s happened, we’re really happy. We
feel Luke Adam has as much skill as any of the
other forwards in this draft, but he has something
that few of them have, and that’s grit. It’s
something he was born with.
“He’s also confident his abilities and we’re
looking forward to giving him the opportunity to
show those abilities and to develop them.”
While Paiement entered Saturday with a pretty good
idea the Fog Devils would get Adam, he also
realized it was no sure thing, especially in a
draft where so many top picks were being traded.
By the end of the opening round, nine — or half —
of the first round picks belonged to someone other
than their original owner.
One
pick, the 17th overall, got flipped six times,
twice by Quebec, before ending up with the P.E.I.
Rocket. And the Oceanic wound up with four
first-round picks, including three of the first
six.
However, they never got the player they were said
to covet, defenceman Yann Sauve, who went first
overall to the Saint John Sea Dogs.
“Before Rimouski decided to take over the first
round, there was a time we thought we’d never have
a chance at Adam, that some other team would take
him earlier,” said Paiement.
“And
then there was another time, we thought we might
have a chance at getting Adam and someone else we
really liked.”
Paiement was talking about forward Patrice
Cormier, who just a couple of months ago was being
talked about as a possible first overall pick.
After Sauve went the Sea Dogs, forward Phillipe
Cornet to Rimouski, goalie Kevin Poulin to
Victoriaville, and P.E.I. native Chris Doyle as a
popular selection of the home town Rocket, Cormier
was still available. But the Oceanic snapped up
Cormier at No. 5 and defenceman Alexandre Neron at
No. 6, with the third of their quartet of first-rounders.
“It
would have been a tough choice (between Cormier
and Adam),” said Paiement.
“They’re two prospects with pro upside … big
players who play with an edge.
“But
whatever the case, things worked out for us.
Russ
Adam was particularly glad to see the Oceanic
picking before the Fog Devils.
“It
was nice to see Rimouski get that sixth one,
because they already had two forwards,” said the
proud father. “Everything just worked out and we
couldn’t be happier for Luke.
“We
knew there was always a possibility of him having
to come somewhere else. When you put them into the
draft, that’s when can happen.
“But
there are so many pros to having him home, the
first of which is the Fog Devils hockey club and
where it’s going and the leadership that I’ve seen
with Real. That’s a situation I’d like to see have
Luke around.”
Paula Adam knows there will be some pressure on
her son as a first-round pick in his home town,
but says they are well aware of the situation.
“We’ve spent a lot of time discussing the
advantages and disadvantages of Luke playing home.
He’s just going to have to be mature and work hard
and go for his dream.
“But
really, this is a great pick for us. We can still
be together as a family and Luke can pursue his
dream.
“He
always knew he wanted to play hockey. Not knowing
where he was going to go, that was the tough part.
“I
know he feels very relieved.”
Luke
Adam was both relieved and hungry after being
selected. His pre-draft breakfast had consisted of
one English muffin.
“And
it didn’t go down too good,” he said, “but I’m
ready for a good meal.”
bmcc@thetelegram.com
First Round Selections
First-round selections at the 2006 QMJHL Entry
Draft in Charlottetown, P.E.I:
1.
Saint John — Yann Sauve, D, Chateauguay, Que., AAA
2.
Rimouski — Phillipe Cornet, LW, Amos, Que., AAA
3.
Victoriaville — Kevin Poulin, G, Charles-Lemoyne,
Que., AAA
4.
P.E.I. — Chris Doyle, C, Notre Dame, Sask., AAA
5.
Rimouski (from Val d’Or) — Patrice Cormier, C,
Moncton, N.B., Jr. A
6.
Rimouski (from Drummondvile, through
Acadie-Bathurst, through Baie-Comeau) — Alexandre
Neron, D, St. Francis, Que., AAA
7.
St. John’s — Luke Adam, C, St. John’s AAA
8.
Rimouski (from Halifax) — Jordan Caron, C, Notre
Dame Argos, Que., AAA
9.
Shawinigan — Dave Labrecque, C, St. Francis, Que.,
AAA
10.
Chicoutimi (from Drummondville) — Dave Labrecque,
C, Chateauguay, Que., AAA
11.
Lewiston — Danick Hudon-Paquette, W, Edouard
Montpetit, Que,. AAA
12.
Cape Breton — Mark Barbeiro, D, Lac St. Louis,
Que., AAA
13.
Gatineau — Travis Stacey, LW, Chateuguay, Que,.
AAA
14.
Acadie-Bathurst (from Rouyn-Noranda) — Antoine
Tardif, G, Trois Rivieres, Que., AAA
15.
St. John’s (from Acadie-Bathurst) — William
Beaudoin, D, Levis, Que., AAA
16.
Val d’Or (from Chicoutimi) — Samuel Morneau-Boutin,
C, Magog, Que., AAA
17.
P.E.I. (from Quebec, through Rimouski, through
Drummondville, through Quebec, through
Rouyn-Noranda) — Jordan Southorn, D, Lac St.
Louis, Que., Midget Espoir
18.
Quebec (from Moncton) — Maxime Sauve, C,
Laurentides, Que., AAA
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