The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings could celebrate the first NHL draft held in Southern California by harvesting talent from their backyard.
Emerson Etem, of Long Beach, Calif., is interviewed during an availability session atop LALive in downtown Los Angeles. He and fellow native Californian Beau Bennett could go in the first round.
The Ducks pick 12th and 29th, and the Kings choose 19th. By coincidence, two native Californians, Emerson Etem and Beau Bennett, are projected to be taken in the first round.
"Any of (the California teams), L.A., Anaheim or San Jose, it would be an honor to put on one of their jerseys," said Etem, who is from Long Beach, Calif. "But whoever values what I have in my game is who I want to play for."
Etem is ranked eighth by the NHL's Central Scouting, but most teams seem to have him ranked in the 10 to 20 range for Friday night's draft. The speedy right wing scored 37 goals last season for Medicine Hat (Alberta) in the Western Hockey League.
"Etem is a special athlete who trains like a madman," NBC analyst Pierre McGuire said.
To better prepare himself to make the NHL, Etem worked out in the summer with famed trainer T.R. Goodman, who has a stable of NHL players. To get into Goodman's program, he had to travel from Long Beach to Venice Beach. He started with 6 a.m. roller skating, followed by two train rides and a bus to get to the training site. It was 2½ hours one way, and he did it six days a week for three consecutive summers.
"It took up a lot of my day, but it was a humbling experience and well worth it," Etem said.
He was training with NHL players Chris Chelios and Rob Blake, among others.
"Watching a guy like Chris Chelios train is unbelievable," Etem said. "I would try to keep up with him. ... It really didn't work out too well. At the same time, he was a great role model."
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SOURCE: USA Today
Kevin Allen
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