2025 NHL Draft Media Availability – Jack Ivankovic (58th Overall, Nashville Predators)
how does it feel
no unbelievable um I mean you know I I grew up kind of this watching the preser uh obviously Soros is the guy I look up to um so you know it’s pretty cool getting drafted by you know such a great organization
what’s this whole week been like for you who’s out here with you
yeah it’s been super fun um I mean my my whole family’s down here i know everyone in this draft so it’s pretty cool going through it with some of my best friends how cool is it just to see so many guys you know get drafted all day yesterday and then continuing all through today
yeah it’s it’s pretty special um I mean you know when uh Shaun first picked there uh whole family had some tears in their eyes um so I know I think it’s pretty cool for him and it’s cool for me you know watching everyone uh go through it as well
how do you feel your game’s improved over the last couple years in Brandon
yeah super good um I mean I think they’ve done a great job with my development um I mean I’m super grateful for you know uh the Steel Odds organization obviously you’ve had a lot of really cool goalie pads in your career look at the colors you got think uh got any ideas yet
haven’t thought about anything yet but uh I definitely will be able to you know cook something uh something cool up
it’s got to be a gold base I think
yeah uh Soros’s pads are yellow gold right now so I don’t know if I do that yet uh work my way up to that
jack did you think it might have been Nashville did you have an idea yeah I mean honestly Nashville was my my I was hoping for them i mean I went to the Stanley Cup uh game there um so I thought it was pretty good i mean I look up to Jussi um so you know it’s pretty special to be drafted by uh such a great organization
what do you remember from that experience going to Asheville for the confines
yeah it was it was electric um you know I can’t I can’t wait to you know start playing playing there
what does this week look like for you
yeah um I mean I got here I had you know two days to kind of get settled in uh went to the beach a little bit um but it’s been it’s been unreal um I mean LA is such a great you know spot um but you know I’m super happy now that you know it’s it’s finally over i got drafted and start up camp
you went back to the beginning of the season and told yourself you’re going to be at the National Predators of Kansas
what would that conversation look like
i don’t know if I I have words for that um I mean it’s pretty cool um you know I had never honestly thought um it’d happen but um you know I’m super super happy
the plan is still Michigan for the fall
yeah my plan to go to Michigan
um I mean what’s it like i mean a bunch of Michigan guys have been drafted last rounds already what’s that been like i mean you know those guys those guys
yeah I grew up uh with Malcolm um and you know I know Horks and McKini and a bunch of other guys from Michigan uh really well playing against them growing up um so you know it’s cool to kind of go through it with them
what was that like when that that possibility opened up for you to go to the NCA because it wasn’t uh available last year as a possibility right and when did you first become aware that was a possibility to do that
yeah I think right right when the rule kind of changed I was definitely open to it um I mean it’s so hard to make a decision you know such a young age um but you know I couldn’t turn the opportunity down of of going to be a starter at uh University of Michigan couple of which guys like yesterday i mean you see Brady Martin and uh Jack Nesbbit both get picked by the Pred just what’s your relationship like with them and how cool is it to be at dev camp with them in a couple of days
yeah I mean Brady he’s he’s one of my best friends super cool you know go through it with him um and then Cam Reed was with the PRs um too so that’s pretty special um you know growing up playing against those two guys um you know it’s pretty cool
you’re pro compos so how does it feel to be under the same franchise as him oh
it’s it’s unbelievable um he’s the guy you know I look up to um so you know I can’t wait to get down to camp you know pick his brain uh about what he does good and you know just get down there
jack what do you want Fred fans to know about your game yeah you know I I love to win um I think the biggest thing in hockey is to win um and I think you know I’m definitely going to you know help and bring a you know Stanley Cup to Nashville are there any other goalies you really like watching after
yeah eigor Sturkens another guy I look at um you know his his compete level his athleticism his puck counting those three things you know I take from his game into mine um but I think still for me is is the guy
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