Off to the Showcase Tomorrow...Realizing How Lucky I Am

We're heading to the NAHL Showcase tomorrow morning in Blaine, Minnesota. Every team in the NAHL is there, which makes it a great event for college scouts. It's really the biggest chance of the year to catch a scout's eye, and I'm pretty nervous, but very excited. There were cuts made this morning and they made me realize how lucky I am to have people who believe in me and my potential. I definitely would not be in the position I am in if I did not have people who have helped me along the way and believed in my future as a hockey player. It's hard to see the kids who get cut after they hear the news because it could've very easily been me who was cut. That is the nature of junior hockey though. It's a business, and coaches try to put together the best roster they can, and they will cut kids without hesitation. It's tough, but that's the way it goes. Sam said it best: "A lot of kids will come and go this year. We're just numbers on the meat market." That's why it is so important to show how hard you are willing to work to play your best every day. If something goes wrong, or a coach believes he can build a better team without you, then he will. That's why it is important that I also believe in my potential. It's a mental grind, but I know I am strong enough mentally because what I am doing has been my dream for my whole life, and now I'm living it, so I have to make the most of my chance. I'm living the dream, and if I can help it, I will not let the coaches think they can have a better team without me because I'm going to work as hard as I can to be the best hockey player I can. I'm a Bobcat now, and I have to wear this jersey with pride.