It's NHL draft day once more.
While this year has seen circumstances like no other, it's always one of the most exciting times in hockey — seeing player after player having their name called and their life changing almost instantly.
After inking a new contract with the Flyers just late last week for one more year with the team, goaltender Brian Elliott joined NBC Sports Philadelphia's Taryn Hatcher, when he happened to share his draft day story. In just a few brief minutes, Elliott secured himself with one of the best — and most hysterical — draft stories across the league.
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"Mine was definitely different than some of these kids are gonna have," Elliott said Tuesday afternoon. "On draft day, I mean, I definitely wasn't a first-rounder, but the next day I went to work like any other day. I was coaching at a hockey school, coaching the goalies — didn't have a cell phone back then — and just came home from work.
"My dad was standing there, put out his hand, shook my hand and said, 'You're drafted.' I just kind of almost fell to my knees and didn't believe it happened."
Elliott was drafted 291st overall in the ninth round of the 2003 NHL draft by the Ottawa Senators.
"But you know, it doesn't really matter where you go today, what spot you get drafted," Elliott said. "I think if a team shows interest in you and they invest a pick in you, they really want you to succeed and they give you every opportunity. So, I think the kids getting drafted today and tomorrow, it's a big day for them. You know, it's probably not what they envisioned — I think it's virtual this year — but I think you take it all in stride and it's the start of a really cool process. It changed my life for the best and really fond memories of that day."
NHL
Elliott will be entering his 13th season in the 2020-21 NHL season — which is slated to start Jan. 1 — but has spent a significant amount of time with the Senators, Blues and Flyers in his career. He also spent some time with the Avalanche and Flames.
Luckily for the Flyers, though, he's here now and he and Carter Hart have created quite the tandem in net for any opponent.
How did this all start off though, since he wasn't around to accept the call on his draft day?
"I think a couple weeks later, my mom met one of their scouts on the side of a highway pull-off and exchanged my draft jersey and a duffle bag with a gold shirt," Elliott said while laughing. "So that's how my presentation went. I wasn't even there and I got a jersey and a duffle bag."
What a unique way to get your start in the NHL, right?
The 2020 NHL draft kicks off Oct. 6 and 7 p.m. ET. You can get all of the essentials here before watching on NBCSN.