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vbottas17 · 07-06-2022, 11:18 PM

Alexi Piastri

With the S66 SMJHL Entry Draft just hours away, teams are scrambling to figure out who are the best fits for their organization. The draft is an important event for any team, in any league. With such limited scouting available for the SMJHL Entry Draft, picking the right players could have long lasting effects, and have a huge long-term impact on the junior circuits franchises. Bringing in the right fit to a teams locker room could be the spark that's needed to help elevate a team from the bottom of the standings, to competing for the Four Star Cup. While there is no shortage of intriguing prospects in this years draft class, one of the more interesting prospects has to Melbourne, Australia native Alexi Piastri.

A highly skilled, highly competitive, right wing, Piastri isn't exactly a highly scouted prospect from a hockey hotbed. Born to Matteo Piastri, an Italian born former Ferrari F1 mechanic, & Yumi Tsunoda (maiden name), a nurse from Yokkaichi, Japan, it has to be said that Alexi finding himself in North America playing professional hockey would be seen as highly unlikely. However, it seems that we're just days away from that longshot of a possibility coming to fruition. Matteo & Yumi met after an unfortunate pit road incident nearly cost Matteo his life. The couple would marry soon after and move to the coastal Capital of Victoria.

Alexi was their first born child, he didn't show much interest in traditional Aussy sports as a youngster. He enjoyed swimming in the ocean and racing go-karts much more than playing cricket or soccer with his friends. That is until a trip to Finland to visit Kimi Raikkonen when he was 12 years old. Piastri attended his first professional hockey game in Helsinki and was instantly enamored with the sport. He had never ice skated in his life but marveled at the speed, precision, and creativity that the sport was built around. Much to their surprise, Alexi told his parents that he wanted to be a professional hockey player when he got older. The Piastri's took their eldest son to go ice skating just days later. Alexi was a natural, gliding effortlessly from the second he stepped foot on the ice. Over the coming years, the family would travel specifically for Alexi's hockey tournaments. Being where he was from, Alexi could never have made it this far without the support of his parents.

Alexi wasn't just a natural skater, he had an incredible understanding for the game of hockey. He would spend his time at home watching whatever SHL or SMJHL games that were on television. He was a huge Halifax Raiders fan. He would try to emulate the way that Pietra Volkova dangled the puck on a string at full speed, and took note of the vision that Toivo Kosonen displayed, seemingly seeing the play develop before anything happened. His walls were covered in posters of SHL stars such as David Winter and Kaspers Tsizling. It soon became apparent that the family would have to relocate if Alexi was going to pursue his dream, the Piastri's would move to Montreal.

Except then covid happened. Moving halfway across the globe just wasn't in the realm of possibility. So that leads us to where we are today. Alexi has declared for the S66 SMJHL Draft, now less than 48 hours away. A complete unknown to most, Piastri is definitely one of the wild cards in this years class. Is he good enough to play against more traditional competition? Will he be able to handle being away from home for an extended period of time for the first time in his life? Only time will tell.

Alexi is reportedly open to playing for any SMJHL team and doesn't have a preference for any squad in particular. Piastri could certainly add some skill to a teams wing, but he will undoubtedly have to round out his game to help whichever franchise it is that drafts him. Piastri could end up being one of the gems late in draft, or maybe there's a team out there that may take him surprisingly early. Tune in Friday night at 8 pm eastern to find out.

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