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NHL DRAFTJune 26, 2015Zachary WerenskiSUNRISE, FLORIDA Q. Talk about what it feels like to be drafted by Columbus? ZACHARY WERENSKI: It's pretty unbelievable. I really wasn't too sure what to expect coming into this, but really happy with how it worked out. Q. (Inaudible). ZACHARY WERENSKI: Yeah, I thought my conversations with Columbus went pretty well. I think at the combine you don't really get too much of a sense of what they think of you, but I think I did pretty good in those interviews, and it kind of paid off for me. Q. Tell us what you learned about your game when you were on the USA national team. ZACHARY WERENSKI: I think I learned a lot about just playing defense there. I think Coach Rinaldo did a great job of teaching us defensemen how to play, stick on puck and stuff like that, it was huge, so I carried it over to Michigan, and it worked out well. Q. There's so many guys that have to wait (inaudible). I don't know if you have a gut feeling, but (inaudible)? ZACHARY WERENSKI: Yeah, it's a pretty long day. I think today was one of the longest days I've ever been through. You're just kind of thinking about it and just kind of waiting for it, and finally it's here, and it just seems like it's going by quick now. Yeah, it's kind of a relief, I guess. It's the place I wanted to be picked, so it's perfect. Q. What do you know about the Columbus Blue Jackets? ZACHARY WERENSKI: What do I know about them? Oh, a young team. I know Corey Tropp. He's from Grosse Pointe, so I've been working out with him. He tells me great things about it. I grew up watching Jack Johnson play at Michigan on the national team, so I'm pretty familiar with the players, and it's pretty exciting to be drafted by them. Q. Jack Johnson (inaudible)? ZACHARY WERENSKI: Yeah, a little bit. I think he's a fun player to watch. He works hard, he's a two‑way defenseman. He's good with the puck and he's good without it, so it's definitely somebody I like to watch. Q. Did you have any indication Columbus thought of you in this spot? ZACHARY WERENSKI: Not really. I really wasn't sure what was going to happen tonight. It did work out well going to Columbus, but going into the draft I had no idea what was going to happen. Q. (Inaudible). ZACHARY WERENSKI: I think I can bring a two‑way defenseman type of role. Hopefully I'll play a lot of minutes one day. That's what I did at Michigan, and hopefully that's the style I'm going to play when I get to Columbus. Q. It's always up to the team, but based on how you're progressing now, when do you think you could be prepared to play? ZACHARY WERENSKI: I'm not too sure. Like I said, I haven't thought about it too much. I've kind of been more focused on the combine and the draft, so now that it's over, I guess I'll have to talk with them and see what the plan is. Q. You met with them at the combine? ZACHARY WERENSKI: I did, I did. Q. Did you talk to them this weekend, as well? ZACHARY WERENSKI: I have not talked to Columbus this weekend, just at the combine. Q. When you came away from the combine did you think they liked you? Were you thinking this was the team that might be interested in you? ZACHARY WERENSKI: Yeah, I think so. I think after that interview I felt pretty comfortable and I thought I had a good one with them. I think there was a‑‑ I think I did do pretty well in there, and I think I came away from it as maybe they do like me, but I wasn't too sure. Q. Do you know Jack Johnson personally? ZACHARY WERENSKI: I've met him once or twice, but I don't know him that well, not at all. Q. Do you guys take pride in four hockey guys being picked in the top ten? ZACHARY WERENSKI: Yeah, definitely, and I'm happy for Noah and Jack. They're great players and they bring a lot to college hockey. I think it's huge for college hockey, and I think it shows how good it really is. Q. (Inaudible). ZACHARY WERENSKI: It was what I hoped for. I got excited. I wasn't really sure what to expect. I've heard a lot of stories about what can happen on draft day so I didn't really have too many expectations, but this was the range I was hoping to go in, and fortunately I did. Q. Did you do anything today to pass the time? ZACHARY WERENSKI: I don't think anything would have passed the time today. I kind of just tried going to the pool, didn't work. Tried going upstairs, listening to music, didn't work. Finally it came time, and it was fun. It's going by quick now, seriously. Q. Camp starts next week for the Blue Jackets. Are you excited to get on the ice with them? ZACHARY WERENSKI: Yeah, definitely. It's kind of a quick turnaround. I wasn't really expecting that, but I think it's better, just go out there and show them what you can do. I'm really excited. It's going to be fun. Q. You graduated high school early to enroll in Michigan? ZACHARY WERENSKI: Yes, I did. Q. You're still 17? ZACHARY WERENSKI: Yeah, I am. Q. So do they call you junior or‑‑ ZACHARY WERENSKI: No, actually on my team they're calling me Big Z. That's my nickname, Big Z. I don't get the small jokes or the young jokes too often. Q. Nobody picks on you? ZACHARY WERENSKI: No, I don't think anybody picked on me last year. Q. (Inaudible). ZACHARY WERENSKI:  It was tough. It was really hard. I did a whole senior year in the summer, and it's not really anything you want to do in your summer, but it was worth it now, and I'm happy with it all. Q. Why were you so anxious to get out of high school? ZACHARY WERENSKI: I just thought I was ready for college hockey. I thought I was mature enough to go to college and handle everything that came with it. I think I was ready. I think it was a great move for me. Q. You know what's coming obviously as part of your discussions with Columbus. ZACHARY WERENSKI: I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I guess I haven't really thought too much about it. Just going to take it day by day. I'm living in the moment right now. I'm pretty excited, so just going to take it all in. Q. So all the options are on the table right now? ZACHARY WERENSKI: Yeah, I think so. I'm very comfortable in Michigan, and as of now I plan to move back there, but like I said, I'm open to anything pretty much. Q. Have you been to Ohio at least a couple times? ZACHARY WERENSKI: Yeah, we played Ohio State a couple times, got to see that. Haven't really toured the city, so I don't know too much about it. In and out. Q. Have you been to the Charleston Center, ever been to the Nationwide arena? ZACHARY WERENSKI: Just drove by it. Haven't been there. Looks pretty good from the outside, so hopefully it looks good from the inside, too. Q. Talk about how fast things have gone now since the pick. Is this what you expected? Is it exciting, nerve‑wracking now? ZACHARY WERENSKI: Yeah, it's really exciting. I haven't stopped smiling. I feel like I'll smile the rest of the night. I remember Larkin last year kind of talked to me about it, so I guess this is what I was expecting. I can't really put it into words, though. You can kind of think about stuff and think about what might happen, but you don't really know until it happens. Q. Who do you have with you here tonight? ZACHARY WERENSKI: I have about 40 people, family, friends, about 10 friends, 30 family members, a couple kids from my team, my defensive partner Kevin Lohan is here, I invited him. It's really exciting. Q. How did you find out? Did you know before they announced the pick? Did your phone buzz, your agent tell you? ZACHARY WERENSKI: No, I don't know if my dad knew, but he kind of looked at me like I think this is it. He didn't say anything, just kind of gave me a look, and I was like hitting him, like don't give me that look, stop. But he might have known, I'll have to ask him, but we'll see. Q. What's your dad's name? ZACHARY WERENSKI: Ken. Q. What are your numbers right now, height, weight? ZACHARY WERENSKI: 6'2", 210, 215, somewhere around there. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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