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***notorioustig*** · 08-26-2018, 04:23 AM

Word Count: 1205

SHL.com Staff
Draft Preview Series

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - After the thrilling conclusion to the SHL and SMJHL seasons, teams have immediately had to shift their focus to the future of the sport with the upcoming S43 SHL Entry Draft. With the host city of San Francisco holding the first, third, and fifth overall picks, the energy in the city has been electric among fans, draftees, and management crews alike. Analysts widely consider the S43 draft class to be both one of the strongest and deepest ever, with potential impact players slated to be available as late as the fourth round.

Among the number of talented players in this year's draft is high-octane Detroit blueliner Tig Murphy. The 10th overall selection in last years SMJHL draft maintained, or arguably even raised, his draft stock with a solid rookie campaign, scoring 4 goals and 27 assists while being among the leaders in icetime on his squad. Ranked by many publications as the top defenseman in the draft, it goes without saying that interest in the young Falcon is high.

We were able to catch up with Murphy about the draft, his offseason training, and an incident involving a jetski:
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Interviewer: Tig, how has the offseason been treating you so far?

Murphy: It's been pretty busy so far, and a lot longer than I would have liked after going out in the first round. The first week or two was a bit of a reset and wind-down after the season, so I got some rest and nursed some minor little aches and pains. After that, I really got started on my summer training.

Interviewer: Speaking of your training, what has been your focus? Any particular areas of improvement that you're targeting?

Murphy: Definitely. I think that everybody is always concerned with getting bigger, faster, stronger every offseason and that's absolutely a focus for me, especially in terms of strength. To be able to defend against grown men in the pros, I need to get stronger in my upper body in particular. With that said, there's a lot of skills-based training that's crucial to a good offseason and there are definitely some areas I'm trying to work on. On the ice I'm trying to work on my play reading defensively and in particular learning when to best use my body to break up a play. Tactical aggression is a term our coaches used a lot this season and I really like it because stopping a play before it even results in an attempted shot is about as effective as defense can get. In addition to those things, I'm constantly just trying to improve my pace of play - the SHL is a different beast than the juniors and I need to be able to read and react more quickly if I'm going to be able to play my game in the big league.

Interviewer: How has the process leading up to the draft been for you and your fellow rookies?

Murphy: It's been a lot of stress but a lot of fun. Most of the prospects have been here in town for the last couple of days, so it's been the first time in awhile seeing a lot of them in a setting where they're not just our opponents. A lot of us have been going around San Fran seeing the sights, just to blow off steam if nothing else. All the media stuff is keeping us busy but to be honest, busy is good right now because it keeps our minds from fixating on the draft too much. All of us are really aware that this draft is really special and really deep, and that the reality is that trying to predict where we're going to be picked is useless in a lot of ways. There are so many great players and great personalities available that we're really all in the dark to a large degree.

Interviewer: With that said, surely you must have some idea of where you'll be picked?

Murphy: I have some idea but nothing concrete. It pretty much just comes down to having talked to some teams and not others. I've had some really great talks with some of the teams and not really anything with others, so it's a little easier to try and navigate where I'll end up. But overall, even most of those teams have multiple picks so actually knowing the range of the pick is difficult. I figure that all these teams have such different draft lists that we could see some really unpredictable results and it could lead to any of us rising or falling relative to some of the draft rankings.

Interviewer: You mentioned the draft rankings, many of which had you in the top five prospects or at least the top ten. How does it feel to reflect on seeing your name included in those types of talks?

Murphy: It's humbling, really. It's certainly something I've worked for and set as a personal goal but to actually hear my name on TSN's draft show described as a potential top-five pick in such a deep draft is surreal. As much as you strive towards something like this, to actually see an achievement like this coming so close to maybe happening is so exciting. If it happens, I'll be proud, but with that draft position comes a lot of responsibility and a lot to live up to. It really doesn't matter to me so much whether I go top-five or last overall, I can only control the things I can control and that's my work ethic, focus, and attitude. No matter where I go, the team that drafts me is getting that much from me.

Interviewer: How has the experience of going through this process with so many of your Falcons teammates helped make it easier for all of you?

Murphy: I think the biggest thing is that we can all relate to the pressures and just talk about it together. When one of us is stressed about it we can kind of rally behind them and we all have a great support network because of it. Being able to share this monumental moment with each other is only going to bring us closer together. The thought that some of us might even get drafted to the same SHL team is exciting too, getting our careers started alongside a friendly face would be great.

Interviewer: How does this experience compare to the SMJHL draft just a year ago?

Murphy: The whole thing is dialed up to 11. It's being held in a full-size stadium, there's promotional stuff everywhere for it and media following us around everywhere. The SMJHL draft was a big moment but in terms of production value alone, this draft is scaled up considerably. It really does feel like a spectacle and once the constant anxiety dies down and we're able to look back on it a bit, the whole experience will be unforgettable.

Interviewer: Thanks for your time today, and good luck with the draft and the start of your SHL career.

Murphy: Thank you, anytime.

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The SHL.com Draft Series will continue; check the website for daily articles, interviews, mock drafts, and videos.

*Good_Ole_Kimmy* · 08-26-2018, 04:27 AM

You are without a doubt the top dman in the draft, good luck!

***notorioustig*** · 08-26-2018, 04:30 AM

08-26-2018, 04:27 AMGood_Ole_Kimmy Wrote: You are without a doubt the top dman in the draft, good luck!

Aw shucks, good luck to you too man!

***Ace*** · 08-26-2018, 12:29 PM

Great article

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