PHOTO BY SCOTT VANKOUGHNETT | 
At every draft inevitably there’s a player that slides a lot lower than he was projected.
This year was no different. Windsor Spitfires’ defenceman Cam Fowler, who was ranked as high as third, slipped all the way to the Anaheim Ducks at 12.
“I really have no idea,” responded Fowler when asked about dropping so low. “That’s part of the process. These NHL teams are looking for a certain type of player. It just seems that I didn’t fit any of those up until now.”
The slick puck moving defenceman had an unimpressive Memorial Cup. The poor showing certainly didn’t help his draft stock. Even still, no one expected a fall of that nature.
“It’s tough, the wait, no matter what you’re doing the wait is always hard,” he said. “When you have high expectations for yourself and people are saying certain things and it doesn’t end up working out it’s tough.”
The Ducks were ecstatic to get a player in the mold of the now retired Scott Niedermayer. Fowler, a point per game player last season in the OHL, grew up idolizing Neidermayer and is equally excited to learn from him.
“I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and I think I came to a great organization that is excited to have me,” continued Fowler. “At the end of the day that’s all that really matters.”
Fowler will most likely end up back in the OHL next season. It’ll be a chance for him to mature physically and work on his defensive game. Inspiration is not something he is short of right now.
“Definitely,” he said about having something to prove to all the teams that passed on him. “It’s hard every time you’re projected as a top pick and you kind of slide. It’s tough. It’s something to use as motivation going into training camp. Now that I’m part of an NHL team my mind is on nothing but hockey right now. I wish I could go out there and play hockey right now and use some of that anger.”
There are a lot of NHL General Managers that will have some explaining to do when Fowler cracks the Ducks line up and quarterbacks their power play for the next 10 years.
“Who knows why it happened,” concluded Fowler. But, like I said they have some great players out there and I’m just happy I’m a Duck now. “
Topics: 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Anaheim Ducks, Cam Fowler, NHL
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