The wait wasn't easy for Liam Foudy, but when the moment came, he was thrilled.
Sitting in the seats of American Airlines Center, Foudy thought he would be selected in the first round but had to wait until No. 18 overall when Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones made the team's pick.
His reaction?
"I had no idea (it would be the Blue Jackets)," Foudy said in his post-draft media availability. "I was sitting there, a good shock there...to hear my name was pretty special."
Foudy was a fast riser, as has been documented. He was No. 91 in the midterm rankings and just cracked the top-20 of the final rankings before the NHL Draft. Part of his climb was attributed to a makeover of the London Knights midway through the season; the Knights traded several veterans, leaving holes in the lineup for younger players to fill.
One of the players who seized that opportunity was Foudy, who stepped into a top-six role and excelled. It's a big reason why head scout Ville Siren – who saw a lot of Foudy during the draft year – and the Blue Jackets were confident in his ability.
"We had some pretty good guys there (in London), and when they got traded, we had some empty spots and that had to be filled," Foudy said. "I was really excited because I wasn't playing too much in the first half; knowing that the first line, second line spots were available...getting to play those minutes under Dale Hunter, I was definitely really excited and I took advantage of the chance."
