Three Surrey-raised hockey players were selected by American teams during the NHL Entry Draft, held Friday and Saturday (June 28-29) at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Eric "EJ" Emery went in the first round, 30th overall, to the New York Rangers, while South Surrey's Tomas Mrsic was drafted by St. Louis Blues in the fourth round, 113th overall.
Also drafted was South Surrey-raised goaltender Harrison Meneghin, picked 206th overall by Tampa Bay Lightning. He's currently with Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL.
Emery, a six-foot-three defenseman, was ranked 39th among North American skaters on nhl.com/draft/prospects heading into the draft.
Emery impressed many with his physical skills at the recent NHL Scouting Combine, and was projected as an early-second-round pick in Vegas, possibly late in the first round, depending on a team's need for a solid, mobile checker on the back end.
Emery grew up in the Panorama/Sullivan area, played Surrey Minor and academy hockey at Yale and Burnaby Winter Club, then decided to improve his game at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program facility in Plymouth, Michigan. Son of American father Eric and Canadian mother Claire, Emery lists Compton, CA, as his hometown on the USA Hockey website.
Mrsic played for Semiahmoo Minor and Delta Hockey Academy before being drafted 8th overall by Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2021.
"Building off a successful rookie campaign, Mrsic broke out in his sophomore season putting up 62 points (23 G, 29 A) in 63 games," notes a post on chl.ca. "His shot and playmaking abilities grabbed the attention of scouts. He continued to climb the NHL Central Scouting list throughout the season and finished the season ranked 64th among North American Skaters."
Last week, Mrsic said he'd have around 15 family members with him in Las Vegas including grandparents Ivan and Drgica, celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.
“It’ll be a pretty special moment, not only for me, but for my family,” Mrsic told Medicine Hat News. “Just giving them hugs will be a pretty special moment for myself and I’ll just cherish those memories forever.”