NHL ENTRY DRAFT

June 22, 1996

Jesse Wallin

Q. Congratulations.

Thanks a lot.

Well, I don't know it was kind of -- I was hoping to go a little earlier, but Detroit, I was really ecstatic about going to Detroit. They are a real solid organization and they have a great team, so I was really excited.

You know, I am a "D" man that plays defense first and I feel I have got some offensive talent, but hopefully I will be able to develop some more. But I think my skating and puck movement is definitely the strongest part of my game.

Brad McCrimmon is just a totally classy guy. He really -- I have known him for the past few years. He is from back where my parents grew up and my dad knew him a little bit, but I have got to be gotten to get very close to him really quickly. He took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. I learned a lot from him as far as not only what to work out on and what it takes, but also how hard you have to do it. He is just an unreal guy. Real class act, and it was an honor to be with him.

Well, the guy I would compare myself the most to as far as playing would be Kevin Lowe because I feel I am pretty much the same type player he is. He has got some offensive talent, but his main strength is defense. We are both kind of built the same way. And even I think a lot kind of the same type of personality and so he is a guy that I kind of modeled myself after as a player.

Exactly. He has had a very honorable career and if I could even come close to what he has done, I would be pretty satisfied.

I haven't really. Obviously, you have to have it as a goal immediately. I mean, I don't -- I don't think I am going to be playing there next year, but you -- you have to go to camp with that goal in mind to succeed and do your best, but I think probably I am at least two years away.

I have got two younger brothers that are really good. Youngest one is probably going to be the best of the bunch. He is 13 right now so. . .

Justin and Jordan.

Justin is 15 and Jordan is 13.

I think for sure 200, 205. That is my goal. Genetically, I have grown just as my dad has, jsut about exactly. He was always fairly slim until he hit about 19 years old; then he filled out, so -- I think probably I will end up hopefully somewhere around 205.

No, he played some junior way back, but he went to school.

Six-two.

Brian.

Yeah, he knew him and his family.

He is really strong in cardiovascular. He is really knowledgeable about the right things to do. I really learned a lot as far as, you know, the right way to train. He taught me the proper ways to train and what it takes and I mean, he is a guy that is 37 years old and he is still playing for that reason and so I have a lot of respect for him and a lot of trust in his judgment.

Yeah, I think it is definitely a possibility. Our captain -- we lost our captain this year. He was an overager (sic) and I was assistant Captain last year, but I think on a good hockey team, I think everybody can pretty much take care of themselves, so -- yeah, hopefully, it would be an honor and it is definitely something I'd want to do.

I know a couple of the draft picks. I know Chad Wilchynski and Darryl Laplante but as far guys that are playing there right now, I don't know anyone. I know -- I have talked to Dave Louis (ph) before. He grew up with my mom.

Karen.

For sure. I mean, school has always been important to me. Been important to my family, so that is you know, I have always done pretty well in school and after hockey, if hockey doesn't work out, I will definitely plan on going to the university and probably in some area of marketing or business, but in that area.

Probably I like math and social studies. Really interested in history, like the warriors and whatnot.

Yeah, World War II, Adolph Hitler.

It was tough. It was definitely, you know, kind of the way I was feeling before. Pretty emotional ride and some of the teams that you talk to beforehand that you think might take you and they take someone else and it kind of gets you thinking, but it is exciting. It is a fun time.

I am definitely feeling that way right now. But I think -- I mean, it is nice to go higher, but I think definitely the biggest thing is to get to a solid organization. I mean, the draft process is just an opportunity and it is just a start, so there is really not a lot of importance as where you go, or like where you go, where you get drafted. I think the biggest thing is to go to a solid organization and I think I have done that.

There was definitely a bit. I was just kind of wondering what teams were thinking and what they were doing; there was also a bit of excitement too because you know, the teams that picked -- the last four, five teams that picked in the last round were some of the best organizations, so it was exciting in a way.

I never knew him until he interviewed me. I bumped into him into the hotel about three times yesterday and he is just a great guy, real easy guy to talk to and --

He mentioned that to me on the stage, he said, I bumped into you three times. He said it was just meant to be, kind of a flukey thing, I guess.

Just one. I had an interview, I guess, it was mid-June, sometime.

He came up to Edmonton.

Not really because you know, I guess it does a bit, but I mean, all these guys -- this year was a good year because we all -- a lot of guys got to go to the prospects game, and I think that really helped because you get to know these guys and you get to know what kind of people they are and you know, instead of feeling sorry for yourself and, you know, thinking you should go ahead of them, you are feeling happy for them because, you know, they are just outstanding guys, and everybody that was up there today deserves exactly what they got.

Camp is on August 2 to 8.

It was an unreal experience. It was, you know, obviously the first thing first time it had ever been done and it was really interesting. We didn't know what to expect, but they had it set up really well. The skills competition was really fun. It was unreal, and the game itself, just to play in a building like Maple Leaf Gardens, there is so much history there and it was really a fun week a really exciting time.

Well, everybody did everything. It was kind of an evaluation. Actually, my -- I finished third in the fastest lap in the skating competition.

I think I got a few steps to go before I reach that level.

I think I am fairly strong in all areas of my skating. I think my agility is fairly decent; my acceleration and also my backwards skating too. I think that is probably one of the strongest parts of my game.

Past two summers. This will be the third summer, but I won't be around all that much. I will be in Red Dear. I got -- I am working there so.....

That is why I said he is such a great guy.