The Career of Bryan Hurst (NHL 09: Be A Pro)

[bhurst99]

I'm not a religious person, but last night I prayed.

I got down on my hands and knees and I broke down crying and prayed.

If my friends saw me, the supposedly tough Bryan Hurst, down there on the carpet praying I don't know what they would have said.

But I woke up at 3 am in a cold sweat. I was thinking, "What am I going to do after tomorrow. This is all I have ever known."

So I got down and prayed that tomorrow it won't come to an end.

Dad says there's more to life than hockey. I know he's right, but it's all I know.
Tomorrow's the NHL entry draft and this is my last chance to get drafted. But nobody drafts 19-year old players. Who is going to draft a centre who scored 20 goals and 65 assists for the worst team in the Ontario Hockey League, the Sudbury Wolves, as an over-age player?

No one that's who.

I'm never going to be a doctor or a lawyer or any profession like that. I've never been a good student. I barely passed high school.

Getting up at 5 am in the morning to be at the rink for 6 am practise, eight-hour bus trips across Ontario and locker rooms so dirty you wouldn't allow your pet in them -- that's all I've ever known.

And I love it.

But is it over?

I can't go back to junior. My eligibility is up. Either I get drafted and hope to make it with an American Hockey League team or I'm toast.

I heard Canadian Tire is hiring maybe I can get a job there. I think it pays $12.50 an hour. That's not bad for a 19-year old.

A scout told me there's always a chance I could get taken in a late round based on what I did two seasons ago. All I need is a chance. My knee felt a lot better last season. It felt perfect.

I hate thinking about my stupid right knee. I keep thinking, "What if I had gotten hit, what if I hadn't twisted the wrong way? What if I hadn't blown my ACL?"

That hit cost me nearly 11 months of playing hockey. I was off to a great start: 13 goals and 30 assists in 29 games. I was going to get drafted in the third or fourth round no doubt about it.

Everyone wants to draft an 18-year old playmaker with that kind of scoring ability. But no one wants a broken 18-year old with a bad knee. No one drafted me in July 2007.

Last year was difficult after all the rehabilitation. You can't expect to miss that much time on the ice and put up great numbers. I mean 85 points isn't terrible. But when you're playing against teenagers 16-to-18 years old you need to score 100 points. You need to dominate and I didn't dominate.

Is my hockey dream over before it barely had a chance to begin?

I'm not even going to watch the draft. They don't telecast the last few rounds anyway. Maybe I'll take a peak at the draft web site.

Until then, I might just pray a little bit more.

[AnOldGoat]

Very interesting, nice story. Hopefully he can make it.

[GoldenJet]

This really rocks, Jason Skyland is coming next month so, be pumped for this until that comes along, and Skyland got drafted 2nd overall shhhh. So lets see if Bryan can get drafted 3rd

[SabresKings3623]

Cool Bhurst, i'll follow this, and I'll post one of my BAP dynasties a bit later on. Great storyline so far.

[bhurst99]

June 20, 2008

I've got a chance.

It's the chance based on a phone call from a fool. But it's better than nothing.

I got a call on my cell from Pete Satt today. Satt is a hockey agent, one of those guys who hangs around midget tournaments all across Canada, pumping up egos, hoping to land a client who will be the next Big Thing.

Like most agents he's mostly all bluster -- promising things he couldn't possibly deliver. I've known him since I met him at a tournament in Oshawa when I was 15. He wears these impossibly loud suit jackets with pants that never match, like he's a reject from a 1970's action flick.

He's got a handful of clients who are NHL players. No one special but that's not surprising. It's a crowded, ruthless field. I've seen junior players go through three agents in a season and remember they haven't even signed a contract yet.

I mean some players have had visits at home from Bobby Orr, who is an agent now. Who are you going to listen to: Some guy who has gone to law school or a Hall of Fame legend? It's no contest. Parents fall to their knees when Orr visits.

I'll give Satt credit for a couple of things. He works tirelessly. He is always on the phone. He's always talking; he knows everyone in hockey.

There was this game in Kingston two years ago when about 300 people showed up because there was a huge snowstorm. Satt was one of those people. He was sitting up high in the stands but you could hear him from the bench talking to people on his cell phone. Never stopped talking.

The problem is he almost always mixes up his facts. He's kind of an absent-minded type. He forgets dates, player's names and even events. He's terrible remembering first names. He'll simply call a player sport or kid, simply because he can't remember. It's very strange.

Anyway, this morning he calls me at like 8 am. He had probably talked to about 40 players like me -- hopeful late round picks -- by that time in the day.

"Hey, Hurst, it's me Satt. I got some great news," Satt said.

"What's up, Mr. Satt?" I asked, barely awake.

"I've been talking to a ton of NHL guys -- I can't tell you who you understand -- but they're saying teams are afraid of drafting Russians this year because the NHL has no transfer agreement with Russia. They're scared like an a cat in a room of rocking chairs. They figure if they draft a Ruskie, they won't be able to sign him and get him out of the country."

"What does that have to do with me," I asked

"Don't you understand? If teams don't draft the 20 are so Russians that are usually taken in the draft, that means they'll be more chance they'll take North American kids. Isn't that great? You got a chance, kid."

"I guess so."

"I've heard a mid-western team might be interested in you."

"WHAT! What team? Who told you that?"

"I can't tell you. You know what I honestly can't remember the team. I think it might have been St. Louis or Colorado or one of those places."

"Are you sure they said Bryan Hurst? Are you sure?"

"I think so ... I think it was you. I think they said Hurst or Hurtz or maybe it was Hirshey. Anyway I gotta a run. Remember if you're drafted who told you first. See ya."

"Wait-"

But it was too late he had hung up. You didn't phone Satt back. It was useless, the phone was constantly busy.

So I've got a chance. The Entry Draft is going to be the longest day of my life.

[bhurst99]

June 21, 2008

I admit that I have lied to you. Forgive me because I also lied to myself.

I said I wasn't going to watch the NHL Entry Draft but today I watched the first four rounds on television.

It was a really bad idea. I told myself I wasn't going to get mad while I watched it and that I wasn't going to become bitter.

But as soon as I saw the first couple of guys get drafted, walk up to the podium, shake general manager's hands and put NHL jerseys over their heads, I could feel my blood boiling.

Even if I hadn't blown out my knee, I know I would never have been a first round pick. But I would have gone in the third or fourth round for sure last year. That would have been me up on the podium with an NHL jersey with my name on it.

Instead, I wasn't taken at all last year and now this year is my last chance to get picked.

It's difficult to see other players I have played against get taken by NHL teams.

You can see them beaming from ear-to-ear when their name is announced in the arena.

You can see their parents sitting there with them, grinning, proud of their sons.

I'm not going to lie to you anymore: I am jealous.

Here I sit in front of the television at home hundreds of miles away. When you hope to be a late round pick you don't go to the draft. It's painful enough here in my home. It would be unbearable in Ottawa.

My dad walked into the room while I was watching and he must have seen I wasn't quite right.

"Bryan, mom could use some milk and some butter. Why don't you go to the grocery store and get some things for her?"

I don't think my dad has ever asked me to buy groceries for mom. He knew watching television was killing me.

"You can always take your cell phone if anything happens."

I've got to get out of this house before I explode. There's only a few rounds left.

[highheatkingsb]

Sweet stuff man, I passed on this game because I feel 2K9 offers more of an in depth franchise, but it was really hard because of this mode. I'll enjoy reading what you have in store for us.

[ThePebble19]

Keep it up...You've built a good storyline already. Interested to see where you land.