Prince Albert, SK -
PRINCE ALBERT - First-round prospect Carter Ashton met with 29 teams during the NHL draft combine last month in Toronto. In almost every interview, he ran into at least someone who knew his dad, former NHL forward Brent Ashton.
"That was a pretty common theme," the younger Ashton said from his Saskatoon home.
"In almost every room I walked into, I met someone who played with my dad, or knew my dad."
Brent Ashton played with nine NHL teams during a solid 15-year career. And though players change addresses frequently nowadays, Carter Ashton would like to restrict his moves to the on-ice variety.
"Definitely, you can't tell what's going to happen in your career, but it would be nice to play in a city where you could stay for awhile," said the Winnipeg-born Ashton, a strapping left-winger with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League.
"With my dad, he played for nine teams, so I heard some of the stories. When my mom was pregnant with me and my brother, they had to just get up move and leave things behind."
Ashton, 18, met with every NHL team except for the Dallas Stars during two days of interviews at the combine. Physical tests were also an integral part of the gathering of the top 100 prospects for the annual entry draft, set for this Friday and Saturday in Montreal.
"When I did find out I'd have 29 interviews, I was a little overwhelmed," said Ashton, who roomed with Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Ryan Button during their Toronto visit.
"It was a busy couple of days. But it was a good experience. You meet a lot of hockey people and you learn a lot. I was happy to get that many interviews."
Top marks in fitness tests
Ashton faced the predictable questions about his hockey and personal background, but at least a couple of teams quizzed him further.
"There were a couple of odd questions," he said. "How would I react if one of my teammates came out and was gay? That was a weird one. And another one was who would I pick to go out to supper with, if it was between Maria Sharapova, Sean Avery and Barack Obama. I think I said Barack.
"The scouts want to see how you react. Guys are looking at your face when you're getting asked those questions."
There was no questioning Ashton's performance in the fitness tests. He ranked among the best in the gruelling physical challenges, even though the Wingate bike test left him - and many others - sick.
"You wouldn't think, from a 30-second bike ride, you'd be throwing up, but it's pretty tough on your body, and you can feel it afterwards," Ashton said. "I did train quite a bit before the combine, and I thought I did OK on the VO2 and the bike test. They were my strong points.
"I had done the protocol a few times, but it's definitely not the same as when you get in that (hotel ballroom) and you've got guys yelling in your face, and all the scouts are watching. It's a lot different from just being at the gym. The pressure is on you, and you find a way to push yourself that much harder."
With his father a longtime NHLer, Ashton didn't need to be pushed into hockey. His earliest NHL memories are of Boston, where his dad played with the Bruins in the early 1990s.
"But, by the time I was six (years old), we were already back in Saskatoon, so I don't remember too much about his career," he said. "But I do remember the odd thing from Boston, being around the (dressing) room, and even the house we lived in."
During the pre-draft interviews last month, Ashton shook hands with former Bruins great Cam Neely, whose power-forward game is the style that has made Ashton an effective WHL player and a blue-chip NHL prospect.
"With my game, I try to utilize my size and my speed, and be a presence on the ice," said Ashton, six-foot-three and 205 pounds.
"Yeah, to be a power forward - that's one thing that I'm trying to take on. At the same time, just produce offensively. I played with some good players this year, and I thought both sides of my game came together."
Ashton is coming off a breakthrough season, scoring 30 goals and 50 points in 70 games as a sophomore with Lethbridge. The winner of the team's community service award, he has emerged as a leader on and off the ice.
With the graduation of key players from this past season, the Hurricanes will count on Ashton's leadership qualities that much more. Lethbridge is also looking for new personnel, after parting company with coach Michael Dyck and general manager Roy Stasiuk.
Draft day a family affair
In 2006, the Hurricanes drafted Ashton seventh overall in the WHL bantam draft.
"Some of the kids got to stay home from school that day, but I actually went to school, and I found out in one of my classes from my buddy where I got drafted," Ashton recalled of his WHL selection.
"So, I'm going to anticipate this (NHL) draft being a little bit bigger than that. I'll enjoy the experience a little bit more, too."
Ashton is off to Montreal this week with his parents, older brother Taylor and both sets of grandparents.
He'll have to miss his high school graduation ceremonies at Evan Hardy Collegiate Institute.
"I'm not going to be able to go to grad, but I'm not too upset," Ashton said with a smile.
"It's going to be quite the experience to go to Montreal for the NHL draft."
It's an experience that he'll share with three of his Saskatoon buddies - Brayden Schenn, Jared Cowen and Jimmy Bubnick. They played summer hockey together and were midget AAA teammates with the Saskatoon Contacts. Now, all four of them are in line for NHL draft selection, with Schenn, Cowen and Ashton rated among the first-round candidates.
In the final NHL Central Scouting rankings, Ashton is listed 12th among North American skaters eligible for the draft. In that same group, Schenn is ranked fourth, Cowen is ninth and Bubnick is 55th.
On its Hot 100 draft list, The Hockey News slotted Ashton at 20th overall, including the goaltenders and Europeans.
Thirty years ago this spring, the Vancouver Canucks selected Brent Ashton in the second round, with the 26th pick overall.
The former Saskatoon Blades star is now playing the role of proud father.
"He was the one that got me into hockey, and he coached me from when I started to almost bantam," Carter Ashton said. "So, to have him around has definitely been pretty special. He's passed on his knowledge of the game, and he's tried to prepare me the most he can.
"But, at the same time, he knows it's now in my hands, and he's taken a step back. He knows I have my own coaches now and I'm living on my own, even in a different city, playing hockey. We still have a great father-son relationship."
jmacneil@paherald.sk.ca
