Draft 2010 - Interview with Stephen Silas

For their 18th birthday most kids like to have a party, spend it with some friends, maybe some family...or go to a local establishment, wink-wink.

Not many spend it sitting in a half-empty NHL arena waiting to hear their name called.

That's exactly what Stephen Silas will be doing this Saturday though. The 6'1" defenseman is ranked #60 by NHL Central Scouting, so he'll probably end up as a mid-round pick in this year's NHL Entry Draft.

His junior coach, George Burnett of the Belleville Bulls, says “Stephen is a smart player who possesses quick feet and a good stick. He is extremely competitive and has excellent vision.”

Although he mans the blue-line in the OHL, his earliest memory as a player was scoring a hat trick. More recently, with the draft quickly approaching, he's been focused on improving his game and preparing his body for the next level.

Throughout the process, it's the off-ice responsibilities that can be a tedious process for some players...with all the interviews and the testing.

So, that seemed to be the perfect place to start when The Mayor spoke with Stephen...

It was reported that one of the questions you were asked at the NHL Combine was "At a party, are you the guy upstairs with your girlfriend or the one sitting on the couch?"  And you said that question caught you off guard., so how did you end up answering it?

DRAFT2010: Interview with agent Kyle Dubas

Question: What do Kings prospects Jonathan Bernier, Kyle Clifford and Andrew Campbell all have in common?

Besides being drafted by Dean Lombardi!

Answer: They're all represented by Uptown Sports Management, Inc...and one of their primary points of contact is agent Kyle Dubas.

There is so much more to the draft than just the players being selected. Sure, you have the stories about the scouts that have followed them. You also have GM's trying to forecast the short and long term needs of their teams. However, often one of the untold stories is that of that guy that is privately linked to the draftee...his agent.

And it's not just contract negotiations that a player uses his agent for anymore. For example, Uptown also has the ability to assist their players with individual marketing, financial planning, professional development, tax preparation...all the way up to post-career counseling.

Not exactly what you get when watching Jerry Maguire, huh?

In the interview below, The Mayor talks with Kyle about his background, a few of the players he has in this year's draft, dealing with kids wanting to play pro hockey, their parents, Kings prospects, junior hockey vs. college hockey, former Ducks coach Craig Hartsburg and some other stuff you'll like.