John Pugh, Academe, Taylor Hall, California State University, Chico, California, 1981
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There is something fucking amazing about Marc Andre Fleury yeeting/flipping TWO number one drafts in one game, seemingly with MINIMUM effort.
Flower, who was a former NUMBER ONE pick of 2003 by the Pittsburgh Penguins did that.
Twenty years later and Flower is flipping generational talent Connor Bedard (2023 #1 draft). And upending veteran Taylor Hall (2010 #1 draft).
Flower played with generational talent Sidney Crosby for over a decade, he can yeet you kids. Old man Flower kicking ass & taking names. LOLs.
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9-13-19: From No. 1(s) to another
Jack Hughes has a large support group, which extends outward from his parents, brothers, a large family with several members based on the East Coast and plenty of mentors in the hockey community who are connected to him through his father or his own journey.
His general manager was once his father’s agent. His coach spent six years at the unique hockey factory from which he just came. He spent a few weeks playing on the same team as the veteran goaltender in Slovakia at the world championships, and his coach was also on the staff there.
There’s also this interesting tidbit about the roster — he has two teammates who were also the No. 1 pick in an NHL Draft. Great players can talk about their experiences and veterans have seen it all, but this specific part of Hughes’ experience would be hard for all but a small fraternity of players to relate to.
Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier have been through an NHL season as the most recent No. 1 pick, the most intriguing 18-year-old in the league. Hischier did so with the Devils two years ago.
“I actually just saw him the first time (Thursday) to be honest, but I’ll try to do my best to help him out wherever he needs me,” Hischier said. “I want to do exactly the same thing that the other guys did to me. I thought I felt really welcome in that team. Everyone was treating me well but was treating me like a normal player as well so I’m done trying to do all that as well.”
Some of Hall’s experiences as a rookie with the Edmonton Oilers might be similar to what Hughes will face this season. Hughes is a much-hyped American prospect, but he spent much of his childhood living in Toronto. The Canadian media will likely treat him as a son of Toronto and an honorary citizen, so some of the attention could be similar to what Hall experienced as a No. 1 pick north of the border.
“I think if I look back to my rookie season as an 18-year-old, and all the hype and all the talk, I would say, ‘Try to enjoy it as much as you can,’” Hall said. “Expect a little bit of failure, expect to come out of some games just with your tail between your legs a little bit and the season is not going to go perfect so there’s going to be some ups and downs. You’re never as good as you think, you’re never as bad. From there, I think it’s just growing as a player, as a leader, as a person and knowing that eventually when you’re 20, 21, 22 you’re going to be one of the faces of the franchise and how are you going to be when you’re that.”
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Wait, I just caught up to reality- so this will be the SECOND time Taylor Hall has been handed a teenage rookie named Connor that’s supposed to “fix the franchise or whatever.”
Dude cannot catch a break, he’s the NHL’s first-overall mother duck or some shit
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