MONTREAL Danil Zhilkin remaining his home in Moscow at the age of 9 to come to Canada for what was meant to be a limited vacation. He and his relatives in no way still left. A insignificant hockey workforce in the Toronto spot beloved what they noticed in the course of a tryout and certain them to make the Fantastic White North a long-lasting prevent.
Now, nearly a 10 years later, Zhilkin has a new hockey residence with the Winnipeg Jets. The club picked the 18-yr-aged ahead in the 3rd spherical on Friday, 77th over-all.


RYAN REMIORZ / THE CANADIAN Push
The Jets took American ahead Rutger McGroarty 14th over-all on Thursday.
At that age, I dont actually don’t forget a great deal, Zhilkin, who is now a Canadian citizen and prefers to go by Danny, told the Totally free Press times just after listening to his identify named inside of the Bell Centre. It was tough to speak English at very first. I imagine it took me two or a few years probably to understand because I understood zero English when I arrived around right here. Unbelievable working experience and definitely this is a phase in the correct course.
Zhilkin, who trains in the offseason with former NHLer Gary Roberts and is 61, 189 kilos, has invested the past two years in the Ontario Hockey League, putting up 23 goals and 32 helps in 66 online games with the Guelph Storm previous year.
Hard operate and determination and staying with the grind and battling adversity. If you get the job done difficult, every little thing will choose treatment of itself, Zhilkin explained of his keys to good results so significantly. He performed for Canada at the Planet Under 18s, assisting them to gain gold towards Russia
Im a rapid, expert, two-way forward. I can earn facial area-offs, Im rather accountable in my very own end. I can make performs for my teammates as properly as place the puck in the back of the net, he stated.
Winnipeg experienced 7 picks in the 2022 NHL draft, including two in Thursdays opening round. They took American forward Rutger McGroarty 14th in general and Finnish ahead Brad Lambert 30th.
The organization turned to the blue line on Friday morning, having Swedish defenceman Elias Salomonsson with the 55th-overall decide on. Salomonsson, who turns 18 at the finish of August, is 61, 183 lbs . and is a suitable-shot who experienced 11 ambitions and 11 helps in 35 video games with his Swedish junior league staff final year. He also gained gold with the national less than 18 workforce
I had a superior meeting with them at the Mix, felt good there. I experienced a fantastic experience about Winnipeg when they had the decide there. So happy they took me, he said.
Salomonsson is signed for the next two yrs in the leading Finnish mens league.
Im a two-way defenceman. I like to move the puck. I feel I have offensive upside in my game. I didnt clearly show that so a lot past year, but I believe I have that in my sport, he reported. Maybe get more powerful and get some a lot more muscles. Then Ill perform a whole lot on my defensive game. I can get much better there. My actual physical recreation also. I have to play additional bodily when I occur to the NHL. I have to be more powerful.
Winnipeg utilised its fourth-spherical decide to bolster the blue-line depth as properly, selecting American defenceman Garrett Brown.
The 18-year-outdated from California, who is 62 and 178 lbs ., was picked 99th overall. Hes a correct shot who put in the previous two decades actively playing with Sioux City of the USHL. He had four ambitions and 12 helps in 62 games very last 12 months. Hes headed to the University of Denver this fall to play college or university hockey and is the son of previous NHLer Curtis Brown.
They went back again to global waters for the sixth-spherical pick, taking Swedish winger Fabian Wagner 175th total. The 18-year-aged is 60, 181 lbs . and had 38 points in 43 games with Linköping HC J20 last 12 months.
Winnipegs final variety was slated later in the working day in the seventh spherical.
Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg
