NHL ENTRY DRAFT

June 22, 1996

Peter Ratchuk

Q. How are you?

Good.

I'm not really -- I'm surprised I'm drafted as high as I was, but I had a couple of nice meetings with Colorado and I had a good feeling about it. But again, I didn't think I'd go as high as I did.

I can't even really describe it. It was an unbelievable feeling. I didn't think it would happen, but when he said my name, I couldn't believe it. I was shaking, and my parents were shaking; we couldn't believe it.

No, not really.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Well, it's -- you know, it's real exciting and I'm happy to be a part of this organization. It's an unbelievable organization. But just to be a part of this draft and be where I am right now is just a dream come true for me.

They just told me in the meetings prior to this that they couldn't guarantee anything. I knew they had 25th pick, and they said if I was still available they still couldn't even guarantee that they would take me at that time. So I really didn't know what to expect, but again, I had a couple of great meetings with them and I'm happy to be here.

Yeah.

Yeah, definitely. That's -- the style of my game is to take it off the ice, giving goals, try to make things happen every time I get it and play solid defense but be an offensive threat.

Yeah, I've watched him since he was with San Jose and I really think he is a great offenseman and every time he gets it he's a threat, and that's the kind of player that I want to be like.

I love that part of it. That's -- that's the games I'm most into. I mean, it wakes me up, gets me going and stuff and that's when it gets really exciting, physical game, hard-hitting, and, you know, you're ready to go.

No, I just -- I always went to the Sabres games, but you know, it's just hockey fan in general, I watched it, I lived it, and I watched guys coming up with like Paul Coffey and guys like that and just watched it as much as I could. Any team that was there I try to see and you know, I always -- I always try to get to this point.

I thought I could go in the second round, so I kind of figured the second half of the second round. There's three different projection lists and all of I was in the second half of the second round and I never really expected the first round. There was always that hint of a possibility, but I never really thought that it would be and so I was waiting for the second round.

Well, going to the college visits beforehand I always -- I was always given the advice that, you know, the feeling will be there, the school you want to go to will just hit you, and it was a simple thing that at Notre Dame it didn't and at Bowling Green it was -- when I was there, I really loved it and it's just a feeling that you get that you want to be there, you're excited to go, and I can't wait to get there. And it was that feeling plus things that I thought would help me develop to get to the NHL and everything down to the weight program at Bowling Green I thought was great and I really loved it when I was there.

Lawrence Academy in New England.

The season before this one I played at Lawrence Academy, actually St. Mary's, Minnesota.

After New England Prep School, it was about a 28 game schedule and at Chadick (ph) we played a 55 game schedule. Our coach was Mike Eaves (ph), and he played for Minnesota and Calagary and I thought that a bigger schedule and a coach like Mike Eaves would be very helpful in this draft year, and it turned out to be a great decision for me.

Two years ago when I was playing for St. Francis High Scool and Buffalo Reagles (ph) was the last time I played.

I live in South Buffalo.

I don't know. I -- it -- I really can't, you know, guarantee anything. I just have to take a little bit at a time and see how things turn out, and you know, take it from there.

Yes.

That was at Boston University.

No, not too much. I really didn't know that. That's something I didn't know. I knew there was a couple of guys that have come out of that school, Joe Crosher (ph) used to coach Buffalo Sabres. His son Greg went to the school and I kind of thought that if a person who was in the pros, coached the pros, sent his son there, that it was a good idea; that he knew what he was talking about. So I pursued that and I really loved it.

Yeah. Yes, if I can't play then, you know, I'd like to be a part of it somehow and that would be a good way to do it. I had fun doing that kind of stuff, and so I think I'll look into that next year.

Yeah, somewhat like that.

Yeah, that's -- well, it was -- my mother has always wanted me to do well in school and my father was a great athlete, and everyone in my family, all the kids are good athletes. And growing up for me, I started when I was about four and I always played hockey and that's all I wanted to do. It was my time to have fun, and I loved doing it and I'll always love it.

Four sisters and a brother.

No, my dad played everything but hockey. He played football, basketball, baseball, everything. Dennis Ratchuk. He went to high school and he went to college for about a month, but financially he couldn't swing it and he signed a contract with the Buffalo Bills and he got cut at the knee and couldn't ever play anymore. So he got approached, tried out and he did real well but he ended up playing getting hurt and could never play again. He was a running back and line backer, but mostly a line backer. Yeah my father is here; they're both here, and my mother.

Well, you know. I was disappointed. I got let go on the last day, but you know, I was disappointed. I thought I had a good week and I was expecting to be there, but you know, I don't hold any grudges or anything. I'll just try again this year when I go.

I haven't finalized that yet. I'd like to.

Thank you.