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NHL DRAFT 2017

June 23, 2017

Nolan Patrick

Chicago, Illinois

Q. What's your reaction, and are you surprised at all?
NOLAN PATRICK: A little excitement. I didn't know where I was going to go, but I kind of had a feeling I was going to end up in Philly, and that's a place I'd be really excited if I had a chance to go there. It's tough to put into words right now, but it's a special day for me and my family.

Q. I know you're friends with Brayden Schenn and Grovey (phonetic). Does that make it easier for you?
NOLAN PATRICK: I think so. I think obviously when you're going somewhere and you don't know anyone, it's obviously tougher to step in, but I think knowing those guys, they're obviously really good guys, I think it will make a transition, make this year good for me.

Q. The Flyers have a nice history; would you like to help them end their drought?
NOLAN PATRICK: I think every hockey player wants to win a Cup, so that's my main goal is to win a Cup in my NHL career. If I had a chance to do that, that would be unbelievable.

Q. Have you had a chance to think about the fit in terms of the organization? With the Devils and the Flyers the last couple of weeks, I'm sure that had to have crossed your mind at some point?
NOLAN PATRICK: A little bit, but I try not to think too far ahead, just enjoy the moment and the experience of being here. Right now I'm just going to enjoy it with my friends and family and get back to work, and hopefully I can crack the team in October there, so that's my main goal.

Q. Is there a sense of relief, you've had a trying year with injuries and not playing much. Are you glad that's behind you and you can move forward?
NOLAN PATRICK: Yeah, you never want to be injured, especially in your draft year. Obviously that was a tough year for me, but I think it makes me stronger as a player, and adversity at this age doesn't hurt, so I'm just going to move on from there and get ready for next season.

Q. When you came to Philadelphia for the medical check, were you nervous about that? Did you feel as though you were basically having to sell yourself that you're a healthy player?
NOLAN PATRICK: No, it doesn't really matter to me. If you don't want to draft me, then don't draft me. I'm happy -- I'm really happy I went here, and I think they just wanted to get me to see their doctors and not get information from doctors who aren't theirs, so that was the main thing.

Q. What's next for you to make sure you're in the NHL this season?
NOLAN PATRICK: Just a good summer of training, getting bigger and stronger. Everyone in the NHL can skate and they're strong players, so that's my main thing.

Q. If you hadn't missed so much time this year, do you think there would be no question about playing next year, it would be a foregone conclusion you'd be starting in the NHL?
NOLAN PATRICK: I don't know if missing games this year matters too much. I was still doing a lot of skill development stuff when I was hurt and working on mobility things. I just played a college season, so that's what happened this year.

Q. Have you talked to Ron Hextall or have you and he talked at all about this season and whether he thought you could play right away? Was that part of the discussion?
NOLAN PATRICK: Not too much.

Q. Do you think you can play right away?
NOLAN PATRICK: Yeah, I think after a good summer of training, that's my goal.

Q. Are you the kind of guy who uses this kind of stuff as motivation?
NOLAN PATRICK: Going second?

Q. Going second, yeah.
NOLAN PATRICK: No, not at all. I think me and Nico are completely different players. I think he might be a little more offensively dynamic than me, and I think I might be a little more defensively than him. I think we're just completely different players, so they wanted him, and it's not like I'm sitting here mad wishing I went to jersey. They didn't want me, so it doesn't matter too much to me.

Q. Playing on a team with Ivan Provorov, what do you think about that?
NOLAN PATRICK: Oh, he's going to be a star right away here, so he's an unbelievable player, and he's got everything it takes to be a star NHL player in my mind.

Q. Do you know Ron Hextall at all?
NOLAN PATRICK: No, I didn't know him before the combine, stuff like that.

Q. How did the tour go with you and Nico? Obviously you've been dragged to the same events over the course of a few weeks. Is it a friendship, a bond, a rivalry?
NOLAN PATRICK: It was awesome. He's an awesome guy and I loved hanging out with him. We made a good friendship over the last little bit here, and it wasn't a rivalry for us at all. I'm really happy for him, and you could tell how happy his family was for him. It's cool to see the first Swiss player to go 1, I think it was, so that's awesome for him, and I think now both of us need to start working to make the NHL, so that's our main goal.

Q. Who's here from your family tonight?
NOLAN PATRICK: My dad, my two sisters, my mom, and my Uncle James.

Q. As a two-way complete player that you've been pegged as, do you see yourself as a guy that this franchise is really going to build around?
NOLAN PATRICK: I don't want to look that far. I just only want to make the NHL and establish myself. I'm just going to try to play my game and contribute as much as I can. Obviously I think the Flyers have a really good team, and if you look at their D core coming up, they've got some unbelievable prospects, so I think in a couple years they're going to be a really good team, or even this year coming up. I think they've got all the tools to do that.

Q. What will be your biggest obstacle trying to crack the roster?
NOLAN PATRICK: I don't know, I try not to look at it like that. I just try to look at everything in my control that I can do, and I'm going to do everything I can to make it.

Q. How did Brandon help put you in that chair?
NOLAN PATRICK: I could go on and on about Brandon. Kelly McCrimmon was huge for me, helping me develop as a player when I was 16. He made me work for my ice time, and then he pushed me to succeed after that. He's a great hockey man. He obviously got that job in Vegas for a reason. I think him and George McPhee is obviously going to do big things there, so Kelly was huge for me and Brandon. All my teammates, I played with some unreal guys, with Martin Klemchuck, Chase Hourlock (phonetics), Tanner Kaspick, Kale Clague, awesome guys, George Kearny, all awesome guys who supported me through everything, and I think the teammates are someone that's helped me get here so far.

Q. How much do you think the impact your dad and uncle have made on your career, two guys that played in the NHL --
NOLAN PATRICK: Yeah, they've been my two biggest role models through everything. They've helped me since I was young, and my dad is a little different than my uncle, their personality is a lot different. My dad is a goof and he's always making jokes and my uncle is a little more serious, so they've both been huge for me.

Q. What was going through your mind after the first pick was announced?
NOLAN PATRICK: I hope I go second. (Laughter). Probably that. You know, I wasn't sitting there rattled that he went. I was happy for him, and he's an awesome guy. I'm happy how things played out.

Q. Did you get to know each other this week since you had all those other events?
NOLAN PATRICK: Yeah, I got to know him a lot at the combine and at the Mem Cup before that, and then we roomed together at the end of the combine and then Nashville, so we were with each other a lot, so he's fun to be around.

Q. What were the first thoughts that went through your mind when your name was called?
NOLAN PATRICK: It's tough to put into words. I was just really excited and happy that I could have the people that mean the most to me there and supported me through it all.

Q. How do you feel about eventually moving to a city like Philadelphia?
NOLAN PATRICK: I'm really excited. I've been there a few times, and it's obviously a great sports place. I like the way the team plays, and hopefully I can fit into that.

Q. (Indiscernible).
NOLAN PATRICK: We honestly didn't talk about the draft once in the last two and a half weeks hanging out. You know, he's a really laid-back guy, and I'm happy for him.

Q. (Indiscernible).
NOLAN PATRICK: No, not at all. It's not like if I make the NHL next year I'm going to go, I've got to get more points than Nico or anything like that. I think the draft is obviously just to show where you're going, and the team that you're trying out for next. I think all the work starts out, and I think in about a week they'll be talking about the prospects for next year.

Q. What was it like before the first pick was announced?
NOLAN PATRICK: I wasn't too nervous. I just was trying to expect whatever and be ready for anything, so it -- I'm really happy how it played out. I'm really happy to be part of the Flyers organization, and I'm really excited to see where it goes from here.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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