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Top 2 Draft Picks Face Off

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 18, 2009

Lightning center and No. 1 overall draft pick Steven Stamkos is making the transition this season from junior star to NHL regular. Throughout the season, the 18-year-old from Markham, Ontario, will share his experiences with Tribune writer Erik Erlendsson to give readers an insight into a new way of life during his rookie journey.

I had the chance this week to face off against Kings defenseman Drew Doughty the No. 2 pick in the 2008 draft. There was some lead-up before the game, and reading the scouting notes about him, then reading that it's the first time in a while the top two picks from the same draft played against each other.

That was pretty cool for me and Drew. We are pretty good friends off the ice, played against each other for two years in the OHL and then shared a great experience at the World Juniors, winning gold. We had some conversations last year about hopefully playing against each other in the NHL, so for that to happen was pretty special, although Animal Evgeny Artyukhin took a good run at him and he didn't play the whole game. It was pretty cool to share that experience of playing against each other in the NHL so soon after the draft.

We talked after the game and it seemed like every time we went at each other on the ice and we went to talk to each other, a scrum would happen or something else would happen and we couldn't get over and say anything to each other. I was looking to get in a facewash here or there, looking for him and trying to grab him but unfortunately we weren't able to get together that way.

But we were able to get together after the game, so I could ask him how he was after that hit and then I talked to him again Friday and told him I'll see him in Montreal for the Young Stars Game and we'll have a good time when we are there and tell some stories.

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