2024 NHL Draft Selections: Luca Marrelli (86th Overall, Columbus Blue Jackets)
welcome congratulations yeah thank you how does it feel unreal like can’t really describe it really just brings out like the little kid and you just dreaming a plan of in the NHL one day and getting drafted and now your dream’s kind of coming true what have the last 36 hours been like how was this morning and how was the sleep last night honestly like I wasn’t super stressed out like I knew I was going to get picked I just didn’t know when or where the sleep was pretty good except for the fact my dad was snoring the whole time but um yeah I slept pretty good in this morning just met up with my family walked over and just didn’t really have any expectations just wanted to come here with a positive attitude and you know what kind of it worked out I could be happier what of the generals meant to your development getting to this moment well the generals they they really they gave me an opportunity right my first year I was fifth round pick made the team out of camp and they took me in developed me and really kind of molded me into the player I am uh Roger hunt uh Derek lall have been really big in my development Rock lulio our owner has been absolutely unreal just giving us everything that we need and this whole General’s organization from top to bottom has been instrumental in my development how has Derk lell help you grow as a player yeah he’s been he’s been great he was really really hard in us at the start but you know we start to get to know him as a as a person and not just our coach and I think that’s helped us a lot in just kind of buying in and you know what he really cares about us and we really care about him and I think that’s a really really good relationship because we’re willing to do whatever he says and put it all out there for him and our teammates how do you feel the Deep play run help your draft continue to grow well I think a deep playoff run helps anybody’s draft stock for sure like you win games your team does good and you do good individually right so I think that helped for sure I don’t think it’s the reason I’m drafted today but I think it was a it was a good experience and I’m looking forward to next year hopefully going a little bit further how do you uh describe your game and and you know who you are as a as a player yeah I would say I’m a smart two-way guy I play well on both sides of the puck I think the biggest thing for me is my my patience my poise my ability to distribute the puck and find lanes and turn defense into offense um I think that I can play PK play power play and I can kind of do it all for a team and whatever it takes to win did you have like meetings or anything with Blue Jackets like when they pick you oh yeah or something like that or no uh like I met with him a couple times throughout the year and then I met with him at the combine but I didn’t really think anything of it it wasn’t really one of those teams that was on my radar per se but you know what I couldn’t be happier do you have any connections to the organization you know anybody that plays there have you met any of the guys that over the years just cross and pass uh well yeah like the two Lucas there already Del Bell and penelli I know I’ve known Del Bell just from skating with them in summers and then penelli plays with my cousin Frankie so and we’ve also played against each other our whole Liv so I wouldn’t say we’re best buddies with the I’m not best buddies with these guys but I do I know who they are I think they know who I am so there’s some familiarity there yeah and you’re all Lucas [Laughter] going have a Italian Canadian takeover yeah I think the league needs more Italians so it’s a good thing yeah uh your dad’s a coach right my uncle your uncle your how much does that just help I’m imagining being a Canadian kid it’s pretty easy to get into hockey but just having that that family support and and family background in the sport yeah you know it’s been really good just kind of being a role model to me especially when I was younger I’d go down to his house me I do hockey camps for three weeks in a row and you know like now that he’s coaching in Bakers field he’s he has Pro experience and he’s just the guy that I kind of lean on if I ever have any questions or things I gota ask him and he’s been really good really open and very supportive
Oshawa Generals defenceman Luca Marrelli spoke after being selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third round (86th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft.
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