NHL draft tracker: Justin Kirkland, Kelowna Rockets

Justin Kirkland wasn’t on the 2014 NHL draft radar a year ago. In fact, he wasn’t even in the conversation because he couldn’t crack the Kelowna Rockets’ lineup as a 16-year-old.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t upset (when I got cut),” says Kirkland, who turned 18 in February. “I wanted to play in the WHL last year, but Kelowna’s plan for me was to play another year of midget. They still had trust in me, but they wanted to me to develop a little bit more.”

A full season later, the 6-foot-3, 189-pound winger has gone from relatively unknown to a potential top-60 draft choice. His impressive rookie season, where he scored 17 goals and 48 points in 68 games, earned him a No. 67 ranking among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting Service.

“It has all happened pretty quickly,” says Kirkland. “You just take one game at a time and it has all worked out. I couldn’t have said all of this would happen a year ago, but I would have hoped it would.”

Kirkland was fortunate to get his start in the Dub on a talented Rockets team, which finished first in the WHL with a 57-11-0-4 record. He soaked in the valuable experience of a lengthy three-round playoff run in addition to learning from and playing alongside several major junior stars such as New Jersey Devils prospect Myles Bell and Winnipeg Jets prospect Ryan Olsen.

“I lucked out to get to go to a great place like Kelowna,” says Kirkland, who scored five goals and 10 points in 14 playoff games this year. “I’m definitely fortunate to get to play with guys like Olsen and Bell. They really helped me out to get adjusted in my first year and they gave me some good tips on everything. I couldn’t have asked for better teammates; they really made me feel comfortable.”

Kirkland came into this past season wanting to show he’s a more physical player. He focused on his play in the dirty areas and becoming ‘hard to play against’ in his second year with the Notre Dame Hounds program in 2012-13.

“I was motivated to take that next step and be a good enough player for the WHL,” says the Camrose, Alta., native. “I worked on everything in my game in Notre Dame, but especially being physical. I worked on trying to be more physical in the corners and to finish my checks. I wanted to become a player that’s hard to play against and who works hard in the corners.”

It goes without saying that Kirkland was in good hands in Wilcox, Sk. He was, after all, playing in the same program that NHL superstars such as New York Rangers centre Brad Richards, Philadelphia Flyers forward Vincent Lecavalier and Toronto Maple Leafs blueliner Morgan Rielly played for before making the jump to major junior. Their hockey program wasn’t the only thing that the school has going for it that enticed Kirkland and his family, though.

“It’s great to go to a school where guys like Lecavalier and Richards went to,” says Kirkland. “But my family and I chose the school because how much stress they put on academics. Education is very important to my family and I.”

1. Who’s your favourite NHL player?

“My favourite player is probably (Los Angeles Kings star) Anze Kopitar. He’s a great power forward who plays hard at both ends.”

2. Who’s your favourite NHL team?

“I like watching the Chicago Blackhawks. They’ve had a lot of success and are just a great team to watch with guys like (Patrick) Kane and (Jonathon) Toews.”

3. What’s your favourite band or genre of music that you like to listen to before a game?

“I don’t really have a say in what music we listen to. Our team has their own music, so I’m used to listening to whatever is on. It’s not a big deal to me.”

4. What’s your favourite movie and TV show?

“My favourite movie is Miracle because it’s a great hockey movie and I like watching the (HBO) 24/7 series for TV.”

5. If you weren’t pursuing a career in hockey, what sport would you delve into?

“I think I’d be in golf. I golf a lot in the offseason and just really enjoy it. It’s a great sport to relax and just put to the side whatever is going on.”

Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen