It’s not every day you get to watch your best friend and roommate get drafted live on television — and get to laugh at him in the process.
But that’s exactly what happened to Nashville Predators first-round pick Ryker Lee.
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While being introduced to reporters at Bridgestone Arena on June 28, Lee was about to answer a question but caught sight of his friend and former roommate Aidan Park being drafted No. 223 overall by the Edmonton Oilers.
“That was my roommate last year,” Lee said, laughing as he watched Park on a nearby television screen. “He just got picked wearing shorts and a hoodie.”
Lee, the Predators‘ selection at No. 26 overall, later said Park wasn’t expecting to get drafted, so he wasn’t dressed for the occasion. He was there to support Lee and his other hockey friends, but ended up being taken with the next-to-last pick by the Oilers.
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Park and Lee, both forwards, played together on Shattuck-St. Mary’s 18U prep hockey team in Faribault, Minnesota, in 2023-24. After that, Lee moved on to the Madison Capitols (USHL) and Park played with the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL). In 58 games for the Capitols, Lee had 31 goals and 37 assists, while Park had 33 goals and 33 assists in 55 games for the Gamblers.
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Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex atjdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: WATCH: Predators pick Ryker Lee laughs as he sees friend get drafted in shorts and hoodie