This was a ton of fun, taking a real trip down memory lane — reflecting on 2002 draft. Give it a listen and check out the rest of this series as well. We might not be able to watch any live hockey, but we can still talk hockey and reminisce about simpler times from years gone by. https://twitter.com/stevelaidlaw/status/1253432160268124161

Some post pod thoughts — since I could have went another hour talking about the guys who didn't make it from that draft class or didn't become household names, yet stood out in my mind when looking back on 2002 ...

First off, my apologies to Brooks Laich and Boyd Gordon for blanking out when recalling Washington's penchant for good prairie boys back in those days (Fehr-Gordon-Laich, that was quite the trio of role players who came to play in the playoffs).

Secondly, who else thinks Edmonton wins the 2006 Stanley Cup if Scottie Upshall is rounding out that line with Raffi Torres and Jarret Stoll. Torres-Stoll-Upshall would have been a fun line to watch and hard line to play against!

I always like to joke Oilers drafted the wrong Fisher as a goalie that year — taking Glenn Fisher in the fifth round (no relation and I was a late birthday, November, thus 2003 draft eligible and nowhere near the draft radar, but still ...). Alas, Glenn was the better Fisher!

One name that didn't come up in our re-draft but who I meant to mention and had considered as a wild card ... Sergei Mozyakin, a ninth-round pick from 2002 who never came to the NHL but is the all-time KHL scoring leader and perhaps a top-15 talent from this draft class.

Now for a handful of players we didn't discuss who jumped out for personal connections: David LeNeveu, Joel Andresen, Tyler Weiman, Brad Schell and D.J. King.

Starting with Schell — first pick of sixth round from WHL Spokane (also went third overall in 1999 bantam draft). I grew up playing against Schell in minor hockey, he was probably the hardest guy to stop on breakaways as a kid. Lots of VHS goals, Schell on me — he was sick/slick!

Joel Andresen (5th-rounder for LA) played senior hockey in my hometown (Luseland) and married one of six girls from my high school grad class (Kylee Heintz, sister of Davin + Dustan). Andresen has gone on to be ball hockey star, captained Team Canada at 2019 world championships.

Tyler Weiman (5th-rounder for Colorado) was another goalie who I played 4-on-4 summer hockey against while working in Lloydminster (2004-2008). Weiman backstopped Clarke MacArthur's team, while I was between the pipes for Braden Holtby's team (Holtby played D, gave me the net)!

Nice guy that Holtby "kid" and likewise with Weiman, who is now a realtor in Sherwood Park. Weiman was a really good goaltender who got into one game with Colorado and finished his NHL career with perfect 1.00 save percentage — stopping all 10 shots over 16 minutes of action!

D.J. King was from Meadow Lake/Maidstone and was a man child growing up, beast of a power forward. I knew him from minor hockey days and our paths crossed in Lethbridge where I went to college (2002-2004) and he was playing for the Hurricanes (2001-2004).

Ironically, King and I both ended up in Kelowna. King was traded to Rockets in 2004 and was part of host team that won 2004 Memorial Cup here — before going on to respectable NHL career (118 GP). My media career led me to Kelowna in 2008, where I still reside 12 years later.

LeNeveu (2nd-rounder for Phoenix/Arizona) was a Fernie boy and good friend of my college roommate who was a groomsman in LeNeveu's wedding party — fun times with that Fernie crew. LeNeveu backed up Marc-Andre Fleury at 2003 World Juniors and went on to make 22 NHL appearances.