By Trevor Redden

Fonstad excited and relieved to be heading to Montreal

Jun 26, 2018 | 8:00 AM

Cole Fonstad admitted there was some anxiety as he waited to hear his name called at the NHL Draft Saturday morning, but any worries he had were put to rest when the Montreal Canadiens selected him in the fifth round with the 128th overall pick.

Sitting in his living room at home in Estevan, the Raider forward was joined by his parents, grandparents, aunt, and uncle as he watched the draft roll along.

“It was a long wait,” Fonstad said. “I was getting a little stressed out, but once you hear your name and see it on TV it’s a cool feeling and something I’m really thankful for. I’m lucky to get this opportunity, so I’m really excited.”

Throughout a breakout season, in which he scored 21 goals and totalled 73 points in 72 games, Fonstad was in regular contact with the Canadiens, speaking with the team multiple times during the winter and attending the scouting combine in early June. While he knew there was a chance the Habs may select him based on these conversations, the 18-year-old said it still meant a lot to be chosen by an organization with such a rich tradition.

“It’s really special to see all the players that have come out of there and have had successful careers,” he said. “They’ve had lots of Hall of Famers, and and all the cups they’ve won shows that they’re a franchise that wants to win and I’m just excited to be a part of it.”

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Fonstad is off to Montreal Tuesday, just three days after the draft. He will meet team staff and fellow prospects ahead of the Canadiens’ development camp, which runs Thursday through Sunday.

Featuring a mix of on-ice work, off-ice work, and team-building initiatives amongst the prospects, the development camp is an opportunity to get to know the other prospects and learn from the Canadiens staff. Once he returns home, Fonstad said his focus will be on adding strength and speed to his game before re-joining the Raiders in the fall.

It’s been a busy offseason for the Estevan native, who competed with Team Canada at the Under-18 World Championships in Russia in April before coming home to prepare for the scouting combine at the end of June. Once the combine ended, Fonstad said he took a week-and-a-half off from training to let his body recover.

The high-scoring forward said he’s ready to forge ahead, but still wants to enjoy the moment.

“It’s definitely an experience you don’t want to take for granted,” he said. “You want to just enjoy every minute of it.”

trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden