NHL Draft doesn't switch DeSimone's routine
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Phil DeSimone

Phil DeSimone didn't want to change his Saturday routine although it wasn't a typical day.

That's because the East Amherst resident was selected by the Washington Capitals in the third round, 84th pick overall, of Saturday's NHL draft.

Instead of hearing the good news at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, site of the draft, DeSimone checked his voice mail after completing his usual morning workout at the Buffalo Athletic Club by the Eastern Hills Mall.

"I saw I had 10 voice mails and on one of them, my advisor, Jay Fee, told me I was drafted," said DeSimone. "I thought he was joking. I listened to the next message and the next one and each person was saying congratulations."

Passed over by every NHL team last year, DeSimone's draft eligibility expired on Saturday. DeSimone thought he was going to be drafted in a later round.

It's no surprise DeSimone was chosen. Two months earlier, the 5-11, 193-pound center earned United States Hockey League Player of the Year honors for the Sioux City Musketeers, finishing second in the league in scoring with 26 goals and 47 assists for 73 points. He also had a plus/minus rating of plus-13.

"Just because I was drafted doesn't mean I will stop working hard," said DeSimone. "I've only done something that someone took notice of. Now I have to play even harder if I expect to play in the NHL."

Washington was one of three NHL teams DeSimone thought would draft him. The front runners were the New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars.

DeSimone and top overall draft pick Patrick Kane, selected by the Chicago Blackhawks, were the only two players from Buffalo selected.

Twenty-six players from the USHL were taken, including DeSimone's Sioux City linemate Max Pacioretty, who went No. 22 in round 1 to the Montreal Canadiens. Pacioretty was named USHL Rookie of the Year.

"Linemates getting drafted doesn't happen often, so that was pretty cool," said DeSimone, who will attend Washington's rookie camp in two weeks.

DeSimone, 20, finished his three-year career with Sioux City with 56 goals and 92 assists for 135 points. He will be headed this fall on a full scholarship to play hockey at the University of New Hampshire.

DeSimone has played hockey since age 6 and played travel hockey with the Amherst Knights and Buffalo Regals. He attended Nichols his freshman and sophomore years of high school. He lived in Canada for the first half of his junior year, playing in the Western Junior "B" league of the Ontario Hockey Association, then transferred to Williamsville South for the second half of his junior year. Between his junior and senior year, DeSimone was drafted 21st out of 200 players to Sioux City.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com