MONTREAL - It wasn't a fun experience sitting and waiting more than two hours Friday night to be drafted, but top-ranked Minnesotan Jordan Schroeder's fall finally stopped at 22nd when the Vancouver Canucks took the Gophers forward.

"My parents were very positive," said Schroeder, ranked 11th or 12th by most publications. "They kept saying, 'You're going to go. We have faith in you. We love you very much, so don't worry about it.' The draft is just a number. It's what you do after the draft that counts. But I'm more than excited right now. Once I was finally called, I was very relieved."

The Wild not only passed on Schroeder twice because it traded its 12th pick to move to 16, it then took Eden Prairie defenseman Nick Leddy over Schroeder.

"They probably wanted a defenseman, they wanted more picks," Schroeder said. "I'm happy for Nick. He's a great player, a great kid. Minnesota-Vancouver has a little rivalry there and I'm more than glad I'm with Vancouver."

Canucks star goalie Roberto Luongo made the pick at the microphone.

"That was an amazing experience," Schroeder said. "Him welcoming me to the team and the organization, just amazing. He's a star in the NHL and hopefully we'll be future teammates."



source : http://www.startribune.com