Vegas Golden Knights

Knights Picking 6th; McCrimmon Talks Brandon, Burgers & Nolan Patrick
April 30, 2017, 12:46 AM ET [18 Comments]
Sheng Peng
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Lady Luck did not smile on Vegas's first-ever NHL draft lottery, as they fell from third in the odds to the sixth pick.

From dreams of Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier dancing in their heads to Gabe Vilardi, Miro Heiskanen, Casey Mittelstadt, Owen Tippett, or Cody Glass, among other top prospects, the Golden Knights' first-ever draft pick will be much-scrutinized.

Recent expansion first first-rounders include stars Paul Kariya, Marian Gaborik, and Alexei Yashin, while Patrik Stefan, Rostislav Klesla, Rob Niedermayer, David Legwand, Pat Falloon, and Roman Hamrlik all enjoyed long, productive NHL careers.

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When Gerard Gallant was announced as Vegas head coach two weeks ago, HockeyBuzz caught up with Assistant General Manager Kelly McCrimmon and talked Brandon, burgers, and Nolan Patrick.

HockeyBuzz: Why did you choose to leave the Brandon Wheat Kings, where you served in various capacities from head coach to general manager to owner over the last three decades?

Kelly McCrimmon: It's a really unique opportunity. I felt that at the time when I made the decision, but I've come to appreciate that even more as I've worked here in this organization.

Starts at the top. We have great ownership. We have good resources. We have a very proven general manager in George McPhee. If you look at Washington's team right now, generally regarded as one of the top Stanley Cup contenders, his fingerprints are all over that.

The other thing that George should be proud of in his time in Washington is sustained success. They weren't a team that was good for a couple years, then fell off. They've been a really good team for a long time.

Obviously, credit to the people who have been running it since he left. But certainly, his fingerprints are all over that.

So I knew he would do it right. I knew it would be a chance for me to learn. He wanted a right-hand person for all major hockey decisions. That was something I had a lot of interest in.

Just the uniqueness and quality of this opportunity carried the day.

HB: I've heard different things about this recently. What is your opinion about the differences between the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL in terms of playing style, type of players produced?

KM: The game around the world gets more similar all the time. I think there would've been a time, if you go back 20 years, where the WHL would've had a certain identity, the OHL might've been a little different, and Quebec a bit different again. I don't think that's the case [anymore].

There's great players that come out of all three leagues. I don't think there's a lot to choose.

Certainly more similarities than differences, I would say it that way.

HB: Nolan Patrick played for you in Brandon. What can you tell us about him?

KM: Nolan's a really good player who had a really tough year. As a 16 and 17-year-old player in Brandon, he had two great seasons. This season, he had off-season surgery that kept him out of the line-up. Then he had an injury again at the end of the year.

Little bit tougher to get good viewings this year. But he's a guy who's so well known coming into this season, everybody will have a really good handle of his body of work.

HB: What does it say about his character and talent that despite his tough year, he's still the likely number-one?

KM: It speaks to the regard the hockey community had for him from his 16 and 17-year-old seasons. He wasn't eligible after his 17-year-old season, but he had a pretty special year, would've been a high pick a year ago.

HB: What have your experiences with the city of Las Vegas been in the past?

KM: When I've come in the past, I've come for WHL Governors Meetings. Five or six years, we've had them here. I've seen the crowds and the excitement and everything else like that.

It's a vice that I've been able to dodge. (laughs) Fortunately, that's not something I'm real interested in.

HB: Big question: Have you tried In-N-Out Burger yet?

KM: I have not, actually. They were talking about them this morning. I'll have to put that on my list to take care of.

HB: What's the Manitoban equivalent of In-N-Out?

KM: That's good question. Maybe something off my own barbeque that I'll have to come up with this summer.