Alex Pharand will now and for always be identified as an NHL draft pick.

Selected early in the 4th round of the 2023 Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks last week, Pharand has termed the event as the "greatest day of his life".

And while this may well be true, it is far more his identity as a hockey player that will be critical to the local forward realizing his potential in the years to come, hopefully some day playing in the greatest hockey league in the world.

"Knowing my identity as a player, that's something I have been working on," said the 18 year old Nickel City Sons' product who represented his high-school (Collège Notre-Dame) at both the SDSSAA and NOSSA track and field championships in May.

"I feel like I am a player with a big toolbox," he added. "I have a lot of skill. I have a big body, so I do have to use my body. Realistically for me, I have to be a hard-nosed forward who finishes hits, is a leader on and off the ice, who can fight, who plays to win and can win in the playoffs."

"Not only all that stuff but also a guy who can produce to help my team score some goals, special teams and stuff."

The 2022-2023 season presented glimpses of pretty much everything within that spectrum for Alex Pharand.

By the time early January arrived, the 6'3" presence had netted 16 goals, including a between the legs highlight reel snipe against the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Recognizing that his pathway to the pros was more grit than skill, or perhaps an even mix of both, Pharand struggled to find the net through the balance of the season, going 19 games without a goal and scoring only twice in what amounted to the second half of the year.

"I am definitely not looking just to be a skill guy," he said as he prepared to leave for Chicago and his first official sessions with his new NHL team. "I want to play with an edge. I know I need to work hard every single day, outwork everyone else."

"I need to work on my skating, get faster, get stronger."

Despite the second half struggles, at least offensively speaking, Pharand was still slated for selection in or around the fourth round, a testament to the character of the player and his willingness to do whatever it takes to do what is asked of him.

"I talked to a lot of the teams; there were a lot of teams that showed a lot of interest," stated Pharand. "The Blackhawks probably showed the most, taking me out to dinner, doing a couple of sets of interviews."

While he is not a pure skill player by NHL standards, there is little doubt that the Wolves would love to see a 25-30 goal campaign that is married with a commitment to an all-around game featuring defensive awareness and physicality.

Not the easiest job description to fill, but one that Pharand feels fully capable of tackling.

"I don't think I am going to look at things very differently," he said. "I still want to go out there every single day and get better in every way, do everything I can to help my team win."

"That's what I have been doing my whole life and I want to keep doing that to earn an entry level contract."

Truth is, for as promising as draft day is for the likes of Pharand and hundreds of teenage hockey prospects, it guarantees absolutely nothing.

"I got drafted - but that was only the first step of the way," he said. "I want to earn that contract and begin to establish myself as a pro hockey player - and that means being a professional on and off the ice."

Sounds like an identity that Alex Pharand could be quite proud of.