Long's Belated Birthday Gift from Gretzky

• Colin Long has always credited Wayne Gretzky for being a huge influence in getting him interested in the game of hockey. Now the Kelowna Rockets leading scorer from last season is playing for the Great One. Long was selected in the 4th round of the NHL draft Saturday by the Phoenix Coyotes, a team that Gretzky coaches. It was Gretzky, as a member of the LA Kings, that caught the attention of the California born Long, who decided to throw away his surf board and pick up a hockey stick.


• Isn't it interesting that Long was taken 99th overall in the draft. Gretzky made the number famous over his time in the NHL.


• Call it a late birthday present for Long. Long celebrated his 19th birthday June 19th...two days later the Coyotes picked him in the draft.


• So many comparisons were made this season when Long and Chilliwack's Mark Santorelli were battling for the WHL scoring title. Santorelli was never drafted at 17, yet the Nashville Predators plucked him a year later as an 18 year-old. The same holds true for Long, who saw last years draft go by with little fan fare. Oddly enough both Long and Santorelli were picked in the 4th round. Long has the bragging rights of being selected 99th overall, 20 spots better than Santorelli, who was selected 119th overall in 2007.


• Brandon McMillan is now a Anaheim Duck. McMillan was selected in the 3rd round, joining former Rockets power forward Travis Moen, who has a Stanley Cup to his credit with that franchise.


• Four Rockets were selected in the 2008 NHL draft. That matches the total set by the team in 2004 when Justin Keller, Mike Card, Tyler Spurgeon and Blake Comeau were taken. A total of seven players from the Rockets were picked in 1997, including Scott Hannan, who was nabbed by San Jose in the first round that year. Kris Mallette, Quinton Laing, Karal Betik, Todd Federuk, Justin Jack and Brett McLean were all taken by an NHL team. Hannan, McLean and Federuk are still earning NHL cash.


• I was thinking of transcribing some quotes from the Rockets top two picks in the NHL draft, but lets face it they are splattered everywhere for your eyes to see on the Internet. Both Luke Schenn and Tyler Myers were given the attention they deserve from the media, so any quotes that would appear on this blog would be nothing new.
• Just in case you missed it, Jared Spurgeon, the younger brother of former Rockets captain Tyler Spurgeon was picked in the 6th round by the Islanders.


• I want to especially thank Jon Keen for his great work at the NHL draft. I asked the Swift Current Broncos radio voice to provide me with some interviews from the NHL brass that selected Schenn and Myers, and Keen went far beyond the call of duty to provide me with what I needed. It was almost as good as being there. Thanks Keener...you are a good man.