Last season I attended a pre season OHL game in London between the Knights and the Sarnia Sting. What I didn't realize before the game is that I would be seeing one of the most excting players I would ever see in my life.
I could not take my eyes off of # 10 in white for the Sarnia Sting...from the moment I saw him skate it was obvious I was seeing someone special.
That night he scored a goal and I think had a couple of assists but regardless from that night on I was hooked on this player.
Of course the player I am talking about who not many knew about at the time but now so many in the hockey world know was Nail Yakupov.
This kid does everything at top speed. He is just as fast WITH the puck as he is without it, he has an amazing shot and the enthusiasm he plays the game with is truly Ovi like.
Last season he broke Sarnia Sting rookie records by scoring 49 goals and 102 points and was the first OHL rookie to have 100 points since Patrick Kane had done so with the London Knights. Oh and the Sting rookie records he set...in doing so he passed some guy named Stamkos in getting his name in the Sting record books.
So you can only imagine my excitement this week when I started my first week at Lambton College in Sarnia that I happened to meet Nail not once but twice (the second time I was smart enough to get a pic taken with him). Even off the ice you just get caught up in this kids prescence...trust me when I say this...he is something special and if you don't know that much about him now you will a year from now when he is getting set to play his rookie season in the NHL.
Today TSN analyst Craig Button came out with his draft rankings and certainly not to my surprise he has my Nail ranked number 1 overall. I absolutely can not wait to watch next years NHL draft when this player who I fell in love with over a year ago the first time I saw him play is selected as the first player overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Craig's List
Please do yourself a favour and go to youtube and type in Nail Yakupov and watch what this kid can do. I am sure you will be just as amazed by his talent and his enthusiasm for this great sport that I love so much. The Nail Yakupov Show
Going to Lambton College and being in Sarnia on a daily basis I know I am going to make a point of getting out and watching him as much as I can this year. I know for sure this is the last year I would get to see him play in an OHL arena because mark my words...Nail Yakupov will be in the NHL next year and everyone reading this blog will know exactly what he is all about.
So just remember next June when you're watching the NHL draft and you hear "With the first overall pick the Toronto Maple Leafs are proud to select from the Sarnia Sting Nail Yakupov" As much as I would love to see Nail with a spoked B on his chest lets face it he is gonna go to a team like the Leafs who are capable of finising 30th overall...yes this depresses me greatly...one of the first places you heard it was here.
- Ashley
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