An Olds Grizzlys defenceman is a step closer to his childhood dream of playing in the NHL.
An Olds Grizzlys defenceman is a step closer to his childhood dream of playing in the NHL.
On April 8, NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings for the league’s 2014 entry draft and Nikolas Koberstein, 18, is in the 205th spot on the list.
"I was pretty surprised," he said, adding he saw the ranking on an NHL website. "Didn’t really see it coming, didn’t think about it too much."
Koberstein, a resident of Barrhead who just finished his rookie season with the Grizzlys, admitted he recognizes the ranking is "nothing too huge at this point" but added there is a possibility an NHL team could pick him in the June draft.
Although he said he’s not focusing on that possibility and instead looking forward to his second season in Olds, Koberstein is still thrilled about getting this close to his dream.
"You have to rub your eyes once in a while because it really doesn’t seem real. It seems like a dream. Because I’ve dreamt about that since I was just a little kid, playing hockey in the basement with my dad with mini sticks and my friends," he said. "It’s pretty cool to see how big of an opportunity and chance there is to make it to that next step and it really opens your eyes."
Scouts from the NHL have followed Koberstein’s progress throughout the season and he played before NHL scouts at the 2013 Canadian Junior Hockey League Prospects games in Nova Scotia in November.
He said he and his coaches from the Grizzlys have talked with a number of NHL teams, but wouldn’t identify which ones.
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