Strategies differ as draft looms

BRAMPTON, Ont. – Bryan Pitton and Aaron Snow of the Brampton Battalion have different approaches to the National Hockey League’s Entry Draft on Saturday. rrPitton, ranked 12th among North American-based goaltenders by the NHL’s Central Scouting Service, will go fishing during the draft at Vancouver, while left winger Snow plans to follow it from his Windsor home.rrPitton has adopted a strategy used by his older brother, Jason, who was golfing when the New York Islanders selected him in the eighth round in 2004. The older Pitton, a left winger with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Guelph Storm in a three-year Ontario Hockey League career, signed with the Islanders in May.rrThere’s a lot of pressure with the draft, and right now I’m starting to feel a little nervous,” goalie Pitton said from his Brampton home. rrI think sitting around all day will be even worse, so getting my mind off it would be great. My agent is just telling me to sit tight and wait to see how things go. I don’t really know what to expect.”rrSaid Snow, ranked 79th among North American-based skaters: I’ll watch the early picks on TV to see who goes. That’s always pretty interesting. Then I’ll just wait for my name to come up. It’s going to be a long day, but I’m looking forward to it.”rrOther Battalion players rated by the CSS are left winger Luke Lynes, who is 48th, defenceman John de Gray at No. 68 and centre Michal Klejna at No. 74.rrSnow and Pitton, both 18, had contact with NHL clubs during the season. Pitton had three interviews, while Snow figured he met with six or seven clubs.rrMost of the guys I interviewed with knew quite a bit about me,” noted Snow. They had seen me play. They were more interested in me as a person.”rrRookie Pitton backed up veteran Daren Machesney and made 24 appearances, posting a won-lost-extended record of 16-4-0 with a 3.43 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.rrI knew every time I went out there I had to show what I had, because I knew one bad game could change someone’s mind.”rrSnow scored 30 goals and earned 38 assists for 68 points in as many games in his second OHL season. He was a fixture on the Battalion’s top line with centre Wojtek Wolski and right winger Luch Aquino over the second half of the schedule.rrThose guys helped me a lot, and I hope I helped them,” said Snow. We were a good line and we bonded pretty well. It was definitely an advantage to play with them. But they won’t be back next season and there will be more of a burden on my shoulders, but I’m ready to handle it.”rrSnow said he has heard plenty about the draft-day experience from teammates who have been through it.rrThey said it was the longest day of their lives but it was exciting for them. Since I started skating as a little kid I’ve dreamed of being in this position. Once I get drafted it will really hit me.”rrThe seven-round draft is scheduled to start at 6 p.m., with TSN telecasting the first three hours live.r