NHL ENTRY DRAFT

June 21, 1997

Craig Patrick

He has got real good skill. We feel it is a good chance he might be able to play when we start this season, but we won't know that for sure until training camp.

I don't think it hurt him at all. He is playing against good quality competition and he performed very well; a lot of the games we got to see the regular shift. For most of the game he performed well. He has got great speed and good size. We feel he is very close to playing.

There is so many good players in this draft, especially early on, that we wanted to make sure we were making the right choice. So, we did our normal round of arguing before we made the decision.

I think he is very, very close to playing. So, it a big bonus that you can get a guy that if not ready, he is right around the corner from playing in the National Hockey League. And, the way he plays, we feel he can fit in with us. He is very smart with the puck. He is great at knowing the ice and knowing the game and we have some guys that he can compliment very, very well.

Possibly, but in the final analysis, when we looked at everybody, we felt he was the best player available. We get a bonus in the fact that he might be ready to play right now.

It will be good. I mean, that is Kevin's problem, not mine.

(Audience Laughter)

Geez, Paul, I don't read the hockey news. I am sorry I missed that.

He is a very talented player with great speed and he has got legs like Jagr; has got tree trunk legs and he is very solid on his skates.

We are not looking at it that way. They are trying to make the best decision for our organization at the time and, I don't know, if it's any bigger than picking Jagr, I don't know. Every decision we make is important no matter what area era you are in, you got to make the right decision all the time.

Pittsburgh, I was hoping there was going to be a lot more activity, not necessarily from us, but from somebody. The way the conversations were going over the last couple of weeks it was pretty predictable it was going to be quiet.

Yes and no. But he did interview well. But, just seeing the size of him helped him out immensely and 6' 5", he will be 225, 230 when he is a little more mature. But, he has got good speed, both forward and backwards, laterally. He handles the puck really well. He passes really well. He has got a lot of good up sides.

Everybody has seen him play, so everybody was high on him. But, again, it came down to a decision. We had two or three guys that -- actually, four guys that we were debating about at that time.

Even my kids had seen him. He dominated the Quebec Tournament in Quebec. He has been a talented player all his life.

Interesting story about him. He didn't start skating on ice skates until he was like 9 or 10. He was a roller hockey player and sort of like Joey Mullen, but in Slovakia. Then he took up ice skating and ice hockey when he was about 9, I think. And developed into a world class player. He went away from home when he was 12 to pursue this dream and this was what he wants to do, to be a great hockey player.

He is definitely very hungry. He wants to be a great NHL player. He wants to be an elite player.