Thursday on Twitter, Edmonton Oilers defenseman Andrew Ference shared a bit of “gold” he discovered at his house. It’s a pretty inspirational fax he sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins in advance of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.
Entering the 1997 draft, Ference wasn’t ranked and he didn’t believe that was a correct assessment of his skills. So he went through the “Physical Testing” that Central Scouting invited other prospects to go through with the same organization who conducted the testing for Central Scouting and faxed the results and a letter to every team’s GM.
Ference shared the letter that he faxed on Twitter, which you can see below. I’ve also typed it out below that for easier reading.
https://twitter.com/ferknuckle/status/631914111203328000?refsrc=email&s=11
Here’s the body of the letter:
Recently, the Central Scouting Bureau conducted Physical Testing for selected draft eligible players. Since I was not invited for testing, I can only assume that Central Scouting believes that their current ratings accurately reflect my position with other players eligible for the upcoming NHL draft. Central Scouting has proven very inaccurate in the past and this is no exception. I believe, without a doubt, that I will play in the National Hockey League.
Please accept the enclosed testing results for your consideration. This test was conducted at the University of Alberta by the same people who tested for Central Scouting.
I am looking forward to proving myself this fall at my first NHL training camp, for whatever team is prepared to give me that opportunity. I guarantee that the team that has the confidence to draft me will not regret their decision.
I will be in Portland until the end of the school season and can be reached through the Portland Winter Hawks’ office, if necessary. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Ference was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 8th round of the 1997 draft (208th overall). He’s played 1,021 NHL games to date.
