Draft Day Memories w/ Xavier Bourgault

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.

Xavier Bourgault (F) – Edmonton Oilers (2021 – 1st Rd)

Forward Xavier Bourgault was a highly touted prospect out of the Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) and was one of dozens of players who had a unique draft experience, being selected during the COVID-19 Pandemic. He says, while the draft and all pre-draft meetings and interviews were conducted virtually and without the usual pomp and circumstance, he was still able to have his own “draft party” with close friends and family.

“It was still exciting for me and my family, because we’d been waiting for that moment for a long time. Since I started playing hockey,” said Bourgault. “We rented out the clubhouse at a local golf course with about 50 people. I think the draft was supposed to be in Montreal, which would have been nice, but at least I still had a chance to have my family and friends with me.”

The L’Islet, Quebec native was selected in the first round, 22^nd overall, by the Edmonton Oilers, and Bourgault says he had heard he could be headed from Quebec to Alberta.

“I had a conversation with my head coach about how they had talked a lot to him that week, and with my strength coach. I had no idea, though. Sometimes that means something and other times it doesn’t,” said Bourgault. “But, it was pretty exciting to get drafted by a team like that with all of those superstars. It’s pretty crazy, because you don’t really realize it’s the start of your pro career.”

Being a first-round pick in a Canadian market tends to carry a bit of extra weight, and Bourgault says it was more than just the Oilers’ general manager, scouts, and other staff that had phones ringing off the hook.

“Yeah, there was a lot of media and interviews, and I still had a lot of people around. So, I was kind of in a rush just trying to talk to everyone!”

Prospects heading into the draft this year may be about to have a slightly different selection day experience than Bourgault, but the advice to those young players remains the same.

“It’s cliché, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself,” says Bourgault. “Whether you’re drafted or not, in the first or second round, it doesn’t matter after that. You still have to go to camp and prove yourself when you play pro hockey. So, enjoy the moment and work hard every day afterwards.”

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.

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