Hermosa Beach native Aidan Park stops by NHL Draft as a fan, gets picked by Edmonton Oilers
LOS ANGELES - Aidan Park, a 19-year-old hockey player from Hermosa Beach, stopped by the NHL Draft to cheer on his buddies. But by the end of the weekend's draft festivities, Park himself was picked by an NHL team.
What we know:
Over the weekend, the NHL Draft was held in downtown Los Angeles' Peacock Theater, which is just up the 405 and 10 freeways from where Park lives in the offseason. Park said he initially came by to show support for Ryker Lee, who ended up getting drafted by the Nashville Predators with pick No. 26 in the first round.
Park was planning on spending the rest of the weekend to celebrate Lee, but learned that the Predators had flown him out to Tennessee.
"I thought we were going to hang out today, but he flew out of a private jet to Nashville this morning," Park said over the weekend. "So I wasn't really expecting to come today, but I figured because I live here, why not?"
He ended up staying in downtown LA to watch the entire draft as a fan. That is, until he was picked by the Edmonton Oilers with the 223rd overall pick – which is the second to last selection.
The selection was a surprise to Park, as he walked across the stage in hoodies and shorts – a stark contrast to the business-casual attire worn by NHL prospects picked much higher in the draft. The Hermosa Beach teen stuck around so late that only a handful of people remained in the building, as Park's friends and some event staff cheered him on during his walk to the stage.
"I was honestly kind of thinking, ‘better luck next year,'" he recalled. "I mean, I didn't get drafted last year, so I kind of came into this year with a mindset of looking at the big picture… even if I didn't get picked, I still have a lot of work to do. So it was a little bit of a surprise, but couldn't be more happy."
What they're saying:
Meanwhile, in Nashville, Lee got a chance to watch Park get drafted during a press conference.
"You know that guy?" a reporter asked Lee after noticing the rookie's smile as Park got picked by the Oilers.
"That's my roommate last year," Lee responded with a grin.
Like the rest of the hockey world, the Predators' first-round pick also got a kick out of Park's draft attire.
"He got picked in shorts," Lee said with a laugh.
The Source: This report used videos published by the National Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and referenced a clip shared by the Tennessean's Alex Daugherty.