Development Camp Q & A with Jaycob Megna

Former Lumberjack and current University of Nebraska-Omaha defenseman Jaycob Megna was chosen in the seventh round of the 2012 NHL Draft by the Anaheim Ducks. He recently attended Anaheim's development camp and shared his experience in a question and answer format with Matt Gajtka:


Matt Gajtka: What were your overall impressions of the Ducks' conditioning camp?

Jaycob Megna: I had a great experience at camp. I learned a lot about the organization and the way they operate. I also learned a great deal hockey-wise, both individually and systematically, which I will continue to work on to add into my game.


MG: Did any part of the camp surprise you?

JM: One thing I wasn't expecting was how hands-on the actual NHL staff would be. (Ducks head coach Bruce) Boudreau and his staff ran everything from the on-ice work to the dinners, and it was great just being around them.


MG: Were there any nerves entering camp? How did your comfort level change as the week went on?

The 6-foot-6 Megna was a member of the first
Lumberjacks team in the USHL. (Photo: Anaheim Ducks) 

JM: I was a bit nervous right when I got there, but once I met a few of the guys during the medical testing I settled in. By the second or third day all of us had been able to get to know each other a little bit so we were able to enjoy our time together a bit more.


MG: What input did the Ducks hockey operations staff have for you before you left?

JM: They just told me that they were impressed with how I performed at camp, and that I was in a good spot to develop (at Nebraska-Omaha). They said they were looking forward to seeing me throughout the year.


MG: How does being drafted change your approach to the upcoming season, if at all?

JM: It really doesn't change that much for me. Getting drafted was a great experience and I'm very thankful that I was taken, but it doesn't really guarantee me anything. I've still got to go out and get better every day and continue to improve my game in order to make it to the NHL. It does show me that the work I've put in so far has paid off so I've just got to continue on the course I'm on and hopefully things will work out.

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Thanks to Jaycob for getting in touch with me and lending us some perspective. It'll be fun to watch his development continue under renowned head coach Dean Blais at UNO. To listen to a podcast interview I did with Jaycob, click here.

Also, here's a chat I had with Anaheim Ducks Director of Scouting Martin Madden at this year's NHL Draft. Feel free to skip to the end when he talks about why the Ducks drafted Megna:



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Finally, one more thing before you head off into your weekend: the scouting website Future Considerations has release its (very) preliminary first-round rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft, which will take place in Newark, N.J., next June. As expected, a familiar name made the list.

Edina's Connor Hurley

Lumberjacks affiliate forward Connor Hurley, whom Muskegon made the third-overall selection in the 2012 USHL Entry Draft, is projected at No. 21 among his draft class. Hurley, whose older brother Cullen also made the Lumberjacks' protected list following Tryout Camp, just finished a prodigious sophomore season for Edina (Minn.) High School.

Connor Hurley led the Edina Hornets varsity with 58 points (26g, 32a) in 30 games, following up a freshman year in which he put up 37 points in 26 matches. Perhaps a Lumberjack will be part of another huge first round for the USHL next summer?

There's certainly a long way to go until then, but it appears Hurley has positioned himself very well entering his draft year.