After a great 2008/2009 NHL season where we saw a Stanley Cup rematch in which the Pittsburgh Penguins won their first cup since 1992, a fantastic winter classic matchup at Wrigley field, and many other great story lines that makes the NHL great to watch, we now focus all of our attention to the future of this game.

On Friday night at the NHL entry draft,  over 200 young men are going to get the chance to live the dream many hockey players grow up thinking in there head when they lace up the skates.  Getting to play for an NHL franchise.  Everyone knows who the number one prospects are, and we have all debated who is going to get drafted where, but when these men are sitting in the arena at the Bell Centre, or sitting at home in there own chair, most of them are just hoping for the opportunity for them to get the chance to make the roster some day.

With this 2009 draft being one of the deeper classes  seen in recent years, its hard not to think who is going to be the break out star in the years to come. Who will be the next Henrik Zetterberg, drafted 210th overall the year he was drafted, or the next Alexandre Daigle, a prospect with so much hope that never developed to be.

When the draft comes and goes, all these prospects will either return to there minor league teams, get the chance to play for the affiliate team in the American Hockey League, or be fortunate enough to get the chance to make the roster the first year in.  But in the end for these young men, all they are going to be thinking about and waiting for is hearing their name called, and taking the next step in their professional hockey career.

 Madhatter Jay