The NHL Entry Draft was full of twists and turns, and its host city of Montreal was behind a lot of the drama.
As the owners of the first overall pick, the Montreal Canadiens shook things up when they selected Juraj Slafkovsky instead of Shane Wright, who was widely considered to be the top prospect available.
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Things went from bad to worse for the Kingston Frontenacs star centreman when both the New Jersey Devils and Arizona Coyotes also passed on him. While he was eventually picked up by the Seattle Kraken with the fourth overall pick, the disappointment was almost palpable.
When he climbed up the Bell Centre stage to shake NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s hand, the 18-year-old’s seemed to focus on something other than the team that just selected him. Many believed he was staring down the Canadiens’ draft table, which included the likes of Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton, and Vincent Lecavalier.
Shane Wright staring down the Habs draft table??? 👀 #NHLDraft2022 pic.twitter.com/Nv0zYsTf2Z
— Peter Walker (@petetheleafsfan) July 8, 2022
As a result, Wright’s “death stare” went viral among hockey fans.
Despite the juicy headlines and dramatic facial expression, over the weekend Wright told Sportsnet that there was “no intent” behind the stare and that he was simply posing for the cameras.
#4 overall pick Shane Wright clears the air and says he was NOT staring at the Habs draft table on stage. 😂 pic.twitter.com/4vjCZGXsdK
— Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) July 10, 2022
“To be honest, I don’t really remember too much about going up on stage,” he said, clarifying the misunderstanding. “I wasn’t intentionally trying to stare anyone down… I guess it kind of looked like it.”
With the air cleared and the draft behind him, the prospect seems to be taking a liking to his new city as he attended MLB games between the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays. When the Burlington, Ontario was asked who he was cheering for, he opted for the safe bet, choosing his new town over his hometown.
Hopefully, the look on his face doesn’t say otherwise…
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