Draft Day Memories w/ Wyatte Wylie

The next wave of Senators prospects will be drafted into the organization in less than two weeks, when the National Hockey League holds the 2025 Draft on Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28, at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

And with the top prospects in hockey set to make new memories, as they’re selected by NHL clubs and begin their professional careers, we checked in with some of your favourite Belleville Sens players to see what they remember most about hearing their name called on draft day.

Wyatte Wylie (D) – Philadelphia Flyers (2018 – 5th Rd)

Not every player who attends the National Hockey League Draft will hear their name called in the first round. Some may not hear their name called at all, while many will have to wait until the second round or later to be selected. That was the case for defender Wyatte Wylie, who attended the 2018 draft in Dallas, as he finished up his junior career with the Western Hockey League Everett Silvertips, in his hometown of Everett, Washington.

“It was pretty special, the team we had that year in Everett,” said Wylie. ” We went all the way to the WHL Finals and almost punched a ticket to the Memorial Cup, so that was just really cool. IT’s the furthest I’ve gone in junior, and that team was just super special, and it was really fun. It got me ranked at the end of the season, so I was looking forward to hopefully hearing my name called.”

The “Tips'” deep playoff run meant Wylie didn’t have the opportunity to attend the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo, New York, but he was able to connect with some clubs remotely and earn himself an invite to the draft day festivities in Dallas, Texas, where he’d played for a season as a teenager, before making the jump to the WHL.

“I played there when I was 15 for a year (with the Dallas Stars Elite T1EHL 16U Team) and lived with a host family, and I still keep in touch with them today. They’re like family to me.”

Wylie adds that his connection to the Lone Star State added an opportunity to make a but more out of the trip, than just to hopefully be called to an NHL club.

“Once we found out where the draft was and I knew I had an opportunity, we kind of made a vacation out of it,” said Wylie. “We went thhere and hung out with my old billet family and stayed at their house. I had a bunch of my family there and they all got to meet for the first time as well, so that was super exciting.”

The excitement would taper slightly, as Wylie waited to hear his name called. But it’s not something he would dwell on.

“Sitting there was torture, but I mean, that’s the whole part of the process of going to the draft. You never truly know where you’re going to go or when, or any of that. So, I was just excited to be there. Nobody in my family had ever experienced stuff like that, but it was a lot of fun and we enjoyed it.”

Wylie was eventually selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the fifth round and says even being a late-round pick is tough to put into words.

“Getting drafted was absolutely amazing. It’s an experience that, you know, you can’t even explain to people, especially where I come from where hockey wasn’t huge. It was just a big accomplishment for me and the Flyers and I had only tlaked like once, so that was the last thing I expected waas to go to them. It was definitely amazing.”

The post-selection process was a learning experience for Wylie as well, as he was whisked off to Flyers’ development camp in Philadelphia the following day.

“That was the funny thing, I hadn’t really experienced anything like that an ddidn’t have anyone in my family that played high-level sports, especially not hockey, so I didn’t even know to take my gear with me,” Wylie recalled. “I just went to the draft and had no clue. I flew out at like 3:00 a.m. or something from Dallas to Philly and had to ship my gear there once my parents got home. It was pretty funny.”

And after the whirlwind trip from Washington state, to Dallas, to Philadelphia, and home, Wylie has some wisdom to pass along to young players entering the draft in 2025.

“I think the main thing is to just enjoy it, it goes by fast. Whether you get picked or not, you’re still going to have opportunities and be able to progress in your career. It’s a really cool experience, but it’s definitely not the end of the road (if you don’t get selected, or get picked late), it’s just the beginning.

The Belleville Sens have announced six guaranteed dates for the upcoming 2025-26 American Hockey League season, including the 2025 Home Opener on Saturday, October 18, 2025.

Fans can visit the Belleville Sens website anytime for information on season seat memberships, flex packs, and the latest happenings around the club. Details on single-game tickets and the 2025-26 American Hockey League schedule will be released in the coming weeks.

—

Visit the Belleville Sens website: www.bellevillesens.com
Engage with the Belleville Sens on Twitter: @BellevilleSens
Like the Belleville Sens on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BellevilleSens
Follow the Belleville Sens on Instagram: @BellevilleSens
Listen to the Belleville Sens on Mixlr: www.bellevillesens.mixlr.com