Man, this picture brings back some memories. The 1990 NHL Draft was was held in Vancouver. Hell a city, hell of a Draft year. Say what you will about Russ Farwell’s overall tenure as Flyers’ general manager, but the guy could scout and draft. The photo doesn’t even include some of the Flyers’ 1990 picks who played in the NHL: Dan Kordic, Tommy Soderstrom, Kimbi Daniels, Slava Buysayev. In total, that’s 1,628 games in the NHL represented in this pic with legendary scout Gerry Melnyk. That’s only counting regular season games.
I have some distinct recollections of the 1990 Draft experience. Number one: I was sweating bullets sitting in the stands in a suit and tie. I forgot to put on deodorant before I got dressed. I stunk! I could smell myself. I hoped no one could. At least no one said anything. I sat next to Jason York, who went on to a long NHL career. The Detroit Red Wings chose Jason , a fellow Ottawa native, in the seventh round.
Second, I was surprised I got drafted that year. I expected to be chosen in 1991, probably by the New Jersey Devils. Here’s how it all went down on Draft night.
A pre-Draft meeting with Lou
My dad actually made a business trip into a stop at Vancouver for the Draft. I was unheralded at the Draft, kind of a secret. Back then, the event was held in a single day rather than split across the first round on one, and the rest the next day.
Coming in, I didn’t know what the majority of people thought of me, or even if they thought of me at all. I had one pre-Draft meeting with one team: New Jersey. That was it. That came about because Lou Lamoriello (then the Devils’ general manager) found out I was going to Providence College in the fall. Lou, of course, was an icon at Providence.
Lamoriello asked me one question, and one only: Kid, how are you going the transform your game from prep school hockey to college and then the pros? I replied that my dad played college hockey. I also said that I wanted to learn: All I could do was play hard and with integrity.
I guess my answer satisfied Lou. The Devils were prepared to draft me, in 1991 if not in 1990. But the Flyers beat him to it. The Flyers took me in the third round, 47th overall. Philly had a bunch of third-rounders that year: 44th overall (Kimbi, who is not related to my later teammate Scott Daniels), 46th overall (Amstrong, nowadays the general manager of the Utah Mammoth), 47th (me), and 52nd (Kiniski). By the way, these days, the picks would be second-rounders. Lots of NHL expansion since then. It was a 21-team league at the time.
Before my life changed forever
My pre-Draft status fell under a set of rules that no longer is in the Collective Bargaining Agreement some 33 years later. As a Canadian kid who attended a U.S. prep school, I had to chosen in the first three rounds. If not, I’d have to wait until the next year to be eligible again. No, it didn’t make any sense. But that was the rule.
The Flyers were just another team in my mind. I had a Flyers’ shirt as a kid, for reasons I can’t recall. But it wasn’t like I grew up loving the Flyers. It just worked out that way. Nothing suggested the Flyers had interest.
From Northwood Prep…
Two rounds went by. After taking Mike Ricci (over Jaromir Jagr) in the first round, the Flyers chose Chris Simon (may he rest in peace) at No. 25, future Legion of Doom winger Mikael Renberg at 40, and Terran Sandwith at 42. If I recall correctly, there was no break between rounds. The third round started immediately.
I felt the sweat running down my back. Time was running out on my Draft hopes for 1990.
Geez, I hope I don’t smell like an onion patch, I thought. I didn’t pay much notice as Philly took Kimbi at 44 and Armstrong at 46.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Farwell said the following words that changed the rest of my life: “Philadelphia selects, from Northwood Prep, Chris Therien.“
I went numb for a moment. Jubilant desbelief. Up to that point, it was the happiest moment of my life (later, parenthood dwarfed being drafted along with everything else). I felt validated.
In the picture atop this blog, you’ll notice that I’m wearing jersey number 75. The reason: the Flyers contingent ran out of No. 90 jerseys for all the picks. So they gave the latter picks74 or 75 (the Cup years in Philly). I didn’t care what number was on it. It could be lucky 13, or whatever. The photo op itself flew past, as dd meeting the Flyers personnel.
Post-Draft joy
That night was a dream come true. My dad was very proud; I didn’t care if I was first round, second, or third. For a US high school player who had only been on the scouting radar for one year, my selection caught some people off guard. My scouts pegged me as a 1991 Draft re-entry candidate. In fact, my agent said if I had not been picked in ’90, I’d have a shot to be an early first-rounder (even top five) the next year. Who knows? Thankfully, it was a moot point.
probably would have been a top five pick in ’91. As I tell my kids, everything we have came to be because of the NHL Draft back in ’90.
After the Draft ended, I got to meet with other draftees. In particular, I struck up an immediate friendship with Petr Nedved. He was super friendly and personable. We talked for hours. Oddly enough, Petr played for the Seattle Thunderbirds, where Russ Farwell was the general manager before taking the Flyers’ job. Petr, Brian McCarthy (Buffalo Sabres pick) and I hung out all night back at the hotel where Nedved stayed. I lost track of time.
My dad was worried sick.This was before cell phones. He didn’t know how or where to contact me. Years later, as a parent, I came to understand my dad’s concern. At the time. it was like, “Of course I’m fine. I was just hanging out.” My dad and I ended up having a good laugh over the story.
The next day, Dad took me around Vancouver. Instantly, it became one of my absolute favorite destinations in Canada or the United States. It still is, in fact.
When I got back to Ottawa, I never saw so many happy faces in my life. It takes a lot of love, support and sacrifice — not just from the player himself — to just get drafted in the NHL. But then you learn a new lesson: The Draft is a starting point to a pro career, it’s not a guarantee. The work has only begun.
