Father of 7 Year-Old Sues NHL to Allow Son to Declare for 2017 Entry Draft
ANAHEIM, CA—While the 2017 NHL entry draft is set to be a memorable one, it is not for the usual reasons. It of course will feature skilled forwards with superb stickhandling, talented goalies, and hulking defensemen, but it will also include Wyatt Blaze Smith, a prospect who many say is much too young for the draft. Smith, 7, recently finished his mite minor season with the Anaheim Jr. Ducks, and, according to his father (Mike Smith), was “an absolute standout player.†Wyatt’s parents stated that they were committed to making Wyatt’s NHL dreams a reality, and that it was “an easy decision†to sue the NHL when it was discovered that Wyatt could not be drafted until 2027. After consulting an agent, it was decided that it would be best if Wyatt were able to declare for the 2017 draft, to give scouts a little more time to see him play and identify him as a first-round prospect. Smith’s father added that he had already taken some time to think about which organizations he would like his son to play
for, although he declined to specify, and added that he
definitely would not take no for an answer when it came to his son’s draft eligibility. Bringing the NHL to court was no easy feat, and the Smiths spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to ensure that Wyatt could be drafted in 2017. Months of proceedings resulted in the league being forced to grant Wyatt the ability to declare ten years ahead of schedule. While the Smiths were excited about the development and looked forward to their son being drafted, they stated that they would be sure to toughen Wyatt’s daily training regimen and diet so that he would be ready for the level of competition in the NHL. Questions are being raised as to Smith’s preparedness to play in such a difficult league, when he has yet to play a full-ice game, let alone one with stop-time. In addition, Wyatt has never played a set position (although his father is certain he should play center), and this is a bit of a red flag. When NHL scouts were questioned on whether they would consider adding Smith to their draft list, the answers were not positive. Randy Sexton, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Director of Amateur Scouting, laughingly remarked that, “If he’s still losing his baby teeth and needs someone to help him open the door every time there’s a line change, I don’t think anyone’s gonna take him.†Along with his inexperience, concerns are emerging about his size. Smith has yet to break four feet in height or sixty pounds in weight, and it is highly unlikely that he will have a major surge in growth ahead of the draft. When asked about the uncertainty around his son’s play, Mike Smith stated that, “It’ll be tough, but we’re doing our best to help him achieve his goals. We’ve got him on the ice for eight hours each day now with sprints and weightlifting mixed in, so the hockey part is coming together. In terms of size, we have no doubts that he’ll bulk up a good bit ahead of next year. We’ve been having him eat a high-protein diet and drinking Muscle Milk with each meal of the day. I’ve even got some growth hormone stuff being imported from Russia as we speak! He’ll get drafted, alright!†The hockey community anxiously awaits the news of whether or not Wyatt will be drafted, which will be determined next June in Chicago.