Tim Stützle: Behind the Scenes on His Draft Day

A terrific mini-documentary caught my eye this week. It's a feature on Sens' first-rounder Tim Stützle, produced by MAGENTA SPORT. The 30 minute piece was shot mostly on the day of the draft and includes conversations with Stützle, his family and his Mannheim teammates.

We learn about Stützle's childhood; his rejection of a full NCAA Ride at New Hampshire (much to his parents' chagrin), and the strong bond he quickly formed with the players on his pro team. No documentary will ever tell you that an 18 year old will be a great NHL player. But it did make it crystal clear Stützle has the love and respect of his considerably older teammates and that's a fana

As Mannheim forward David Wolf (at Stützle's left) put it, "He treats people the way he wants to be treated." Wolf had a cup of coffee with the Calgary Flames in 2014-15 and, at 31, he's been around the block. A guy like that might quickly roll his eyes at an 18 year old teammate if he had rolled in with any level of arrogance. Instead, Wolf seems to regard Stutzle as a friend and a peer and that speaks volumes about the kid's character.

Stützle also makes a brief appearance in his swim trunks and, uh, puts to rest any concerns he might not be physically ready for the NHL.

Make sure you click CC for English subtitles. On a side note, if you've ever seen the Tarantino flick, Inglorious Bastards, the way Stützle is holding up his three fingers in the image below kinda ruins the bar scene in the movie. Apparently, Quentin, either way you do it is fine.