Jake Virtanen might have been the only bantam-aged hockey prospect in Western Canada or the United States who wasn't on pins and needles as the WHL draft began on Thursday morning.
The Calgary Hitmen, who owned the first overall selection, had phoned the 14-year-old left winger on Wednesday evening to give him the heads-up that they intended to spend the top pick on him.
Though the suspense was gone, Virtanen's heart rate nevertheless picked up as he sat down with his extended family to watch the draft unfold in Calgary via webcast.
"It's still sort of a shock, and a lot of happiness," Virtanen enthused. "They (the Hitmen) have a great organization, and I just want to be a part of it. It's going to be good."
All in all, it was a day Virtanen won't soon forget. After watching the Hitmen officially call his name, he dashed out the door to his Grade 9 science class at Yale Secondary, where he received a celebratory welcome.
For a few minutes, his name was even trending on Twitter across Canada.
"I walked into the class, and everyone goes, 'Ohhhh!'" he recounted with a chuckle. "It was a pretty fun day."
Virtanen put up eye-popping numbers with the Abbotsford bantam Tier 1 Hawks this past season, racking up 70 goals and 49 assists for 119 points in 62 games. His team-high total of 149 penalty minutes attests to the physical edge he brings to the game.
Media buzz around the WHL had Virtanen in a three-way race for the No. 1 spot, along with a pair of defencemen – Brycen Martin of Calgary, and Ryan Pilon of Warman, Sask.
But the Hitmen preferred the high-end offensive talent Virtanen brings to the table. General manager Kelly Kisio said he watched the Abby youngster play five or six times this past season.
“We really banged it around quite a bit," Kisio said, explaining the decision-making process that led to the Abby winger's selection. "There were three or four guys we really liked.
“He’s dynamic. He can fly and he plays with reckless abandon at times, but he’s a natural goal-scorer and they don’t come around very often."
Troy Campbell, Virtanen's coach with the Abbotsford bantam Tier 1 Hawks, described him as "a highlight-reel player."
"He's a pure goal-scorer," Campbell said. "He has a big-league shot already, and can score from any angle. And he's by far the best skater in his age group. Nobody even comes close."
Virtanen, listed at 5'11", 164 pounds, said he patterns his game after Columbus Blue Jackets winger Rick Nash and Chicago Blackhawks centre Jonathan Toews.
"They're both tough players, and they both score goals," he explained. "I look at Rick Nash probably a little bit more. He's a hitter, he scores goals, and he's a power forward."
Virtanen, a right-handed shot, can play either wing spot, though Campbell favoured putting him on the left.
"We liked to have him on the off-wing, because he has this toe-drag move, and with his speed, D-men just couldn't tackle him," Campbell said.
The main area of growth for Virtanen is consistency, according to his coach.
"He can be the very, very best player, or he can be average," Campbell said. "If he goes half-speed, he's still the fastest player out there. His stride is so effortless, and he's so strong.
"But he was improving on that over the last 20 games, and I think he's putting that together."
The Hitmen's selection of Virtanen marked the second time in three years they've spent their first-round pick on an Abbotsford prospect. Calgary tabbed centre Chase Clayton with the 22nd overall pick in 2009.
– with files from Scott Fisher, Calgary Sun