The Calgary Flames’ selection of Mark Jankowski in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft was, at the time, somewhat of a curious decision.
It was a bit confusing that the Flames, a team with historically bad luck in the first round, would take a flyer on a lanky kid from Stanstead College who barely fit into the jersey presented to him on the stage.
Far from a sure thing, this was a player who was cut from AAA in Ontario, was playing Canadian high school hockey, and was known to be a “long term project”.