LAS VEGAS — The first time Miguel Marquez tried ice skating, he was in tears and said he never wanted to play hockey again.
Now he's an NHL draft pick, selected 87th overall by the Nashville Predators, and says he can't imagine doing anything else in life.
“I definitely want to play in the National Hockey League,” Marquez said after his name was called in Saturday's draft.
Marques, a native of Prince George, British Columbia, plays junior hockey for the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL), but his family roots are in Portugal, where his grandparents grew up before immigrating.
“They immigrated to Canada when they were 16 years old,” Miguel's father, Nilton Marquez, told The Tennessean on Saturday.
This makes Marquez the first player of Portuguese descent to be drafted by the Predators.
The family still visits Portugal regularly — in fact, it was after a visit there that Miguel first started skating.
Miguel Marquez's journey to becoming a third-round pick by the Nashville Predators
Miguel's hockey career began a little later than most draft-eligible players, as he didn't step on the ice until he was six or seven years old.
His father didn't know much about ice skating, but didn't want to stand in the way of his son's desire to try a new sport.
“I myself didn't know how to skate,” Nilton said. “My brother came to help me, and sure enough, at the end of the first practice, we were told (Miguel) was ready to compete.”
Miguel didn't know much about playing hockey either, but he wasn't going to be left out when his uncle and cousin went.
“I thought it was a great idea because I watched a lot of hockey as a kid,” Miguel said. “At first I couldn't stand up and I started crying. I said I didn't want to play hockey anymore, but my uncle supported me on the ice.”
Once he got the hang of skating, Marquez became a natural hockey player, playing for the Cariboo Cougars U-15 team in the BC Elite Hockey League and scoring 42 points in 26 games at the age of 13. After attending two Canadian Sport Schools Hockey League (CSSHL) hockey schools, St. George's and Delta Hockey Academy, Marquez was selected 10th overall by Lethbridge in the 2021 WHL Draft.
Aggressive and agile, Marquez (5-foot-10, 187 pounds) provides plenty of offensive power when he's on the ice, and his skill set is well-rounded with good shooting, passing and puck-handling ability, though his skating could probably use some improvement.
He was Lethbridge's offensive leader last season with 28 goals and 46 assists in 67 games. The Hurricanes managed to make it to the WHL playoffs but were swept by the Swift Current Broncos in the first round.
Some scouts believe Marquez is too inconsistent for the NHL, but his natural talent and “hard to play against” mentality make him a perfect choice for the Predators.
“He has a great combination of passion and skill,” Predators scouting director Jeff Kielty said. “He makes a lot of plays that get on the nerves of opposing teams.”
Summary of the draft:Who did the Nashville Predators take in the 2024 NHL Draft? A look at rounds 3-7
The Marquez family said there was a lot of uncertainty on Day 2 of the draft, not knowing where Miguel would be selected.
“We had a feeling it was going to be Nashville, but we weren't sure,” Nilton said, “and sure enough, that's what happened.”
Miguel said he felt relieved when he heard his name called from Nashville.
“It's been a long year-long process,” he said. “It's really cool. I've heard so many great things about Nashville. I'm really excited.”
