Every now and then, during his draft year with the junior Sarnia Sting, Steven Stamkos would sneak a peek at the NHL standings.
He couldn’t help himself. He needed to know what was going on with his beloved Maple Leafs. And just maybe, they would finish low enough to draft the hometown kid, who grew up in the Toronto-area community of Markham.
It is January 2008, still five months away from the NHL entry draft in which Stamkos is the overwhelming favourite to be picked first overall. On this frosty mid-winter day, we are having a phone conversation about his future.