It's all in the name...

Drafts in any sport have many entertainments. There is the suspense in seeing who will be drafted, which young prospect your favorite team will pick, the wheeling, the dealing, the squealing when the picks are made. But there are often a number of young men at these events whose names just conjure a whole other set of mental images. And at the NHL draft, which is as global an event as such things get, there are some names that fairly leap off the page. For instance...

Brayden McNabb, D (Kootenay/WHL) . A perfect fit for Philly. They’d have another McNabb to boo. If the Phillies could find a “McNabb,” they could have 365 days of McN-abbuse to heap upon their sports teams. Philly heaven.

Linden Vey, RW (Medicine Hat/WHL). Wonder how early in life he picked up the nickname, “Oy?”

Matthew Tipoff, RW (Bellville/OHL). Wrong sport, son. Shouldn’t you be in the gym for the opening, well...tip off?

Andrej Nestrasil, RW/C (Victoriaville, QMJHL). Sounds like a nasal decongestant. When tree pollen has you stuffed up…”Nestrasil.”

Max Tardy, C (Duluth East (HS-MN). Better send a driver for him so he’s on time.

Evan Bloodoff, LW (Kelowna/WHL). Sounds vaguely like a spot-remover, doesn’t it?

Ondrej Havlicek, C (Czech-JR). Meet Matthew Tipoff.

Joonas Hurri, D (Pelicans Jr./Finland-JR). Now, if he could be paired with Uppan Slowdown.

Jakub Ciger, C. (Martin Jr./Slovak-JR). So, he shoots just wide, and the play-by-play guy goes, “close, but no…”

We mean no disrespect to these young men, they just happen to have names we'd like to hear called this weekend. For these young men (and we kid because we love) and all those who are a part of this weekend’s festivities, may it be the times of their lives.