NHL ENTRY DRAFT

July 8, 1995

Terry Ryan

I am stone shocked. I just -- this is absolutely unbelievable. I have worked for this my whole life. It is obviously a dream since I moved out west four years ago. I just -- I have to take it from here, but it is definitely the biggest moment in my life.

Actually, this is -- everything sort of came together. First of all, it is my parents' anniversary and myself and my dad, Montreal was our team when I was growing up and stuff like that and everything sort of came together and this is -- it is just -- it is all hitting me now. I -- I am in shock. It is a great feeling. I can't explain it. It is just a great feeling.

There is a lot of emotions. In a way you can say it is the end of a long journey and in a way you can say it is the beginning of a long journey. It is almost like, you know, this is like the first chapter is over and now it is on to the second and I got to prove myself and stuff at camp. Right now this is definitely -- this is definitely the best feeling, I mean, when I was 14 my parents would come with me to BC and moved. We just worked from there. I had a lot of guidance. My agent Mike BARNETT has been great and my dad. Those two have been so influential on what I have done and I thank them and I thank everybody who has been with me.

I was hoping all along, but I had absolutely no idea because, you know, I hadn't talked to them much. I figured maybe they weren't interested, but it was a total shock when they called my name. I looked down to my AGENT. He gave me the wink just before Montreal went up and selected me and I figured start to hit home, what if Montreal picked me, it would be great, but I didn't even think about it because they hadn't approached me; hadn't interviewed me; hadn't done anything, so it was really -- I think it was a shock to everybody.

I am looking forward to playing hard and it is just -- I know that it is definitely the biggest tradition in hockey is Montreal Canadians. I am just happy to be a part of it.

Jumping the fountain? You heard about that. I will do whatever it takes. If that means jumping into the fountain, I guess I will be doing that. I will do whatever it takes.

Not really. I think I have confidence in myself and I can't really look at it that way. I just got to -- I got to be working hard. Everything is positive today. I mean, I don't look at it that way. I have been handling pressure my whole life ever since -- I guess since I was 14, I moved out west, I mean, there was pressure there the whole way. I don't look at this as a sort of a pressure situation. I look at it as a great opportunity and just a great break.

We were at a tournament. I was playing peewee, but the Bantham team asked me to go with them to Vancouver. I went there. I had a pretty good tournament and Tri-City Americans were there. I remember I was 14. They said, well, I was -- they said if you come out west, we will draft you. We got a high pick and we are picking third. We will guarantee you to be drafted. I knew if I could stay home I could go to the OHL. It was the only junior team that offered to take me, so I figured I can't stay home and play Bantham if I want to improve myself. I just made the decision to go out west and it has been great. It has just worked out all for the best. My family moved out with me for the first two years and now they are back. Ever since I have been in Tri-City. My dad had a leave of absence for two years. He teaches and my mom quit her job altogether to come out.

He played WHA, Minnesota --

He is definitely. In my family definitely the hockey is there and obviously, I am excelling at hockey, but school is definitely just as important. You have to have something to fall back on. Anything can happen and people don't pan out or you can break a leg or whatever; school is just as important. My dad has taught me great values on my life.

Actually, I ran into some guys in the hall. I was talking to them, sort of -- it wasn't actually a formal thing. It was just ran into them; talking to them. They told me, I think it was yesterday, they said, we don't usually interview guys or give questionnaires, we just, you know, just sort of have a casual -- it is -- I was very surprised. I know that they don't have any formal meetings, but still, I figured you know, I hadn't heard anything about Montreal. I hadn't even -- I wasn't aware of the scouts coming to games. I wasn't aware of anything. I had no idea they had any interest in me. So it is even more of a shock from that point of view.

Yeah, that is part of my game is to mix it up.

I don't know the fight number exact. I fought a lot. It has been just a part of my game, I guess, just score big goals; you get in a big fights; both can do a lot for your team. Make a good hit. I just try to do what I need to do to go out there to give my team a boost. I think it is just my style of game.

I think definitely my upper body strengths because National Hockey League, it is -- you see the players on TV, it is a big game and you know, they are men and they are strong and I play rough tough game in juniors, but it is a big jump and I guess you can never be strong enough in the upper body and I think I have to improve my skating a little too.

I really don't know. The way I look at it, I have never actually played with NHL competition ever in my life - a few guys here and there. I looked at camp as an experience. I just, you know, I hope to prove myself a little, get good experience and that is about it.

As far as knowing if I can step in, I really have no idea. I will have to go to camp and I will take it from there.

I have lots of goals this year and I have a goal to prove myself in camp; whether it is making the team or not. I just want to have a good camp. If I came back to junior, it is definitely to go forward and the Memorial Cup and have a shot at the World Junior Team.

Definitely. He has been through it all. He is a great role model to have because he has been through everything from you know, off the ice; on the ice, everything. He is just -- patience is a big part of it. He would know it because he actually -- he was a second rounder. He never actually played in the NHL, so. . . .

I really don't know. I know that I definitely -- when you are 14, 15 some big development years, my friends were home playing Bantham with, you know, the full CAGE. I was out playing 18, 19, 20 year old, getting in fights, just seeing it all. It was a great preparation to make for the WHL, for sure, because Rocky Mountain is a rough tough league. I think it definitely improved me a lot. For sure, I mean, I don't know where I would be today but I know -- I don't think I would be standing here right now.

I am sure they are back at the rock. They are going to be behind me. The whole place, I mean, is Montreal Toronto fan, so I guess half the province is -- they are happy right now. I am sure the whole province is, but I guess half is overjoyed.

I was a Montreal fan. I know it sounds -- I am not really sucking up or anything. I was really a Montreal fan.

I just like the Montreal Canadians. I guess back there, you root for the Canadian teams. That was my favorite team.

My favorite player? I don't really have one. I just try to -- not if -- I can't think of one in particular, actually. Just I try to just play my sort of style game. I don't --

I have a long way to go, but I like Rick TOCKET. I'd like to play -- I like to play like he does. He has a lot of heart and works hard and doesn't back down from anything. He could put the puck in the net to. I hope to develop into a player similar to him.

I don't know. I will, you know, I am going to go and take it easy, I guess. My family and a few friends are out here, and be off the rock and see some, I guess, it sounds normal to everybody out here, but we were just going to go to JASPER, the mountains, the scenery is great; we are just going to have a nice holiday. It seems like the hockey season is gone forever. This is the end of four years of waiting, so I am just going to take a break.

Actually, no, be honest; never had any idea. If you could tell me five teams that I wouldn't have gone to, I probably would have thought Montreal had no interest. It is really funny how things work. I hoped. I remember at the beginning of the year saying, dad, wouldn't it be amazing if I went to Montreal. As the season progressed I didn't even -- I didn't take it into consideration. I didn't -- I just didn't have any idea they were interested in me.

That was probably just the turn around for my confidence of the year. I was having a good year, I think anyway, but to go to that game and I remember thinking before the game, I was really nervous but I said to myself, I remember saying if we could do good up against the best players in Canada, it says something for us and I think we can turn into probably possibly good pros one day. I remember saying that before the game started. We just played our normal game in Tri-City. We didn't -- we were hitting. We were scoring. It was great. It was probably -- it was the best experience, personally, of my life so far.