NHL
Red Wings pick Sanborn’s McCollum
OTTAWA — There was no doubt about it. The McCollums were getting nervous. Twenty-nine of 30 first-round picks had come and gone in the NHL draft, and Thomas McCollum was still sitting with his family in the stands. It looked like they might have to come back for Day Two.
The Detroit Red Wings saved them from an anxious night and another visit to Scotiabank Place. The Stanley Cup champs picked the Sanborn goaltender with the final selection of the first round Friday night.
“It’s a fantastic feeling,” McCollum said. “I’ve never had another feeling like it in my life. It’s just a huge honor to be taken so high. Now that they’ve made me their first-round pick, I really have to do the work to prove that it was worth it.”
His group led out a huge cheer when the Wings announced they were selecting the Guelph goalie, and they were snapping photos and exchanging hugs while he was on stage receiving a handshake from Detroit legend Steve Yzerman.
“They were definitely starting to get a bit impatient,” McCollum said of his family, “but as you could tell by the noise they were definitely excited to hear my name called.”
The group was really eager when the Buffalo Sabres walked to the stage for the 26th selection. But they applauded politely when the Sabres took forward Tyler Ennis.
“When Buffalo was up, hometown kid, I was sort of wondering if they could,” McCollum said. “They needed forwards, so it’s an understandable pick on their part. I’m not going to hold it against them, but at the same time if I play them I’m going to be going all out.”
Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier and his scouts gave thoughts to taking him.
“Yeah, we did,” Regier said. “Like him a lot. We thought we could get through the day and we could try and do something [today], but that’s how it works.”
Going to the Cup winner is a great consolation prize.
“They’ve done a lot of winning the last few years in Detroit, so they obviously have a great organization,” McCollum said. “They’re great at developing players through the draft, so hopefully I can add my name to that list.”
