Draft tracker: 5 questions with Coda Gordon, Swift Current Broncos

Last year this time playing major junior hockey was nothing more than a dream for Coda Gordon. He was playing for the Edge School Mountaineers in the Midwest Prep Hockey League. He knew he would be headed to Swift Current Broncos training camp in August, but he thought he was a long shot to make the team.

"I didn't even expect to make the team this year," says Gordon. "I just came in trying to do my best. I came into camp as an underdog and I knew I had to impress the coaches. Having puck luck and scoring a lot in exhibition really worked in my favour."

Gordon not only made the team, but now holds down a spot on the Broncos' top line. The 6-foot-1, 179-pound winger has been a scoring machine since. He has notched 28 goals and 50 points in 58 games this season. These stats place him second on his team and sixth among Western Hockey League rookies.

"I've been at the right place at the right time a lot for rebounds and passes," says Gordon. "The puck has been bouncing my way and my teammates have really helped me out."

Gordon's impressive rookie season has been one of the Dub's biggest pleasant surprises this year. Very few, including his parents, expected him to be this good this fast.

"I don't know what my family's expectations of me really were, but I think they definitely were taken off a guard a bit," says Gordon. "It has been a surprise to just about everybody."

There are, however, some people who aren't that shocked about Gordon's early scoring success. One of those believers is Broncos play-by-play announcer Shawn Mullin.

"It's no fluke that he has been this good," says Mullin. "Gordon was tied for the Broncos lead in pre-season points. Talking to (Broncos assistant general manager) Jamie Porter, he said Gordon just needed a year to get stronger as a 16-year-old and it sure has seemed to work out. Maybe he shouldn't have been a surprise at all. He scored 110 points with Edge School last year. I know it's hard to translate midget-school stats like that to the WHL, but he definitely showed great offensive instincts by being able to produce at that rate."

The Cochrane, Alta., native may have been surprised to make the team, but he didn't walk into training camp unprepared.

"I worked out a lot in the off-season and tried to prepare for this season anyway I could," says Gordon. "I worked on my core with my trainer Ross McCain. I feel I got a lot stronger and that has really helped me in the corners and around the net this year. My speed has also improved a lot since last year."

Despite being passed over in the 2009 WHL bantam draft, it seems Gordon is on track to be selected in this year's NHL entry draft. The 17-year-old was recently ranked 38th among North American skaters by NHL's Central Scouting Service's midterm rankings.

"It's a huge dream of mine to one day play in the NHL," says Gordon. "I try to just play and not worry about the draft rankings though. It's awesome to be noticed by scouts, but that stuff is just a distraction."

1. Do you try and model your game after a player in the NHL?

"I try and play like (Ottawa Senators centre) Jason Spezza. I think he has a good head for the game and a lot of skill."

2. What part of your game do you think stands out the most?

"Probably my vision. I happen to be at the right place at the right time a lot it seems. Just my hockey sense as a whole I think stands out."

3. Outside of family, who has had the biggest impact on your hockey career?

"Probably Tyler Deis. He has been my skills academy coach from grades 6-11. He coached me the past two years and has really helped me develop."

4. Who's your favourite NHL team?

"I like the Calgary Flames and the Montreal Canadiens. I like the Canadiens because my dad is a huge Habs fan and I like the Flames because I grew up around there."

5. What's your favourite pump-up song to listen to before a hockey game?

"My favourite song is Can't Be Touched by Roy Jones Jr.. It's a song that gets me excited for a game."

Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen (image credit WHL.ca)
(photo: The Canadian Press).