Advertisement

Ottawa 67′s Travis Konecny, OHL’s top pick, aware ‘this is just the beginning’: Making The Jump

The afterglow of being the OHL's first overall selection has worn off, as far as Travis Konecny is concerned.

The Ottawa 67's, amid their most trying season since the franchise's nascence, decided Konecny had the right combo of vision and competitive fire to be the centrepiece in their rebuilding. Moreover, the centre from Clachan, Ont., has absorbed the reality that all the spoils of going No. 1 are null and void once training camp begins on Aug. 28.

"I just want to do what I can and be a piece of the puzzle, earn my ice time," says the 5-foot-10, 175-pound Konecny. "The best advice I've had is that my mum and dad [Terri and Rob Konecny] have always given me a bit of humble pie whenever I've needed it, The best advice they've given me is 'be yourself' and 'be honest about everything.' Really, this is just the beginning, right? It's awesome to be picked first overall, but the work's just starting now and I have a long way to go to prove myself. It is kind of cool to have that attention, though."

Ottawa is optimistic that Konecny will come to be the quintessential No. 1 centre who makes his teammates better. Ottawa coach-GM Chris Byrne, coming off a season where the team's 17-year playoff appearance streak was snapped, opted to select Konecny over another playmaking centre, Dylan Strome, who went No. 2 to the Erie Otters. Ottawa and Erie each also went for 16-year-old centres rather than 15-year-old rushing defenceman Sean Day, who ultimately went No. 4 to Mississauga.

Konecny attempts to emulate one of the NHL's best all-around players and leaders.

"If there was a player to relate myself to, it would hopefully be Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks," he says. "I like to battle and I don't like losing. It's about puck battles and races to the puck. My vision is a big part of my game. I'm kind of an offensive player, but when I need to be I can be defensive."

The top pick will promptly get a not-in-Kansas-anymore reminder. The 67's preseason opener on Sept. 3 in Kemptville, Ont., is against the Kingston Frontenacs and Konecny's best friend, Lawson Crouse, the 6-foot-3 wing whom the Fronts took in the first round. Since the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs grads are now both in the East Division, they could end up going head-to-head up to seven times during the regular season.

"We've been giving it to each other, back and forth," Konecny says. "It's going to be weird playing against each other. I've played with him all the way up.

"I told him we would drop the mitts, but I doubt that's going to happen," Konecny adds kiddingly. "He's a little bit bigger than I am, but I know his weak spots."

1. Where were you when your cousin, Bo Horvat, was drafted No. 9 overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL draft?

"I was up with Lawson Crouse at his family's cottage. We were out boating and took a little break and went on the Internet and heard Bo's name get called and headed right back out. I made sure I was there because I knew he was going top 10 but I heard his name, sent him a text and then it was right back out on the lake."

2. When you break your game down to small components, what is one element where you want to improve during your first year in the OHL, not necessarily right away but perhaps by the season's end?

"Probably the extra little toe-drag. I can probably throw that out of the bag, it's not going to work anymore. Something I could work on would probably be my defensive game. I know they stress that a lot at the next level."

3. As far as the OHL goes, besides Lawson Crouse, what other player or team are you looking forward to facing?

"Probably Oshawa, because there's another buddy of mine [from the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs], Mitch Vande Sompel, who was drafted there 14th overall."

4. If you could meet any one person in the world, living or dead,?

"I'd probably just say Sidney Crosby or Jonathan Toews. Probably one of those two guys. I just look up to them a lot." (What would you ask them?) "I'd probably ask [Crosby] about the dryer he used to shoot on."

5. Favourite TV show or movie?

"TV shows, I don't really know, but I enjoyed Shark Week."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet. Please address any questions, comments or concerns to btnblog@yahoo.ca.