Saturday was a special day for Josh Brook as he was graduating from high school in Roblin, Manitoba.

The day was made even more special as the Moose Jaw Warriors’ defenceman was selected in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft, 56th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens.

“I don’t think anyone can get to the excitement level that I’m at right now, it’s surreal,” said Brook after getting picked in the draft. “It’s a huge step towards my dream of playing in the NHL.”

Brook was at home preparing for his high school graduation when the phone rang with his agents on the other end. They told him that he was going to be a Montreal Canadien.

“I didn’t think I’d get nervous, but once the picks starting going in the second round, I started to get pretty nervous,” he said.

“I actually got the phone call before I saw it on TV, so that was pretty exciting. My mom said, ‘Come to the phone, I don’t know this number, it might be for you,’ and the next thing I know my name pops up on the screen.”

Being at home with family and friends made the moment even more special for Brook, who said that his dad was a big Canadiens’ fan when he was younger.

“My bedroom used to be painted the Habs’ colours,” he said. “My dad was a Habs fan when he was younger and my billet dad is a huge Habs fan, so he was pretty excited when he text me.”

The six-foot-one defenceman had a breakout season with the Warriors as a 17-year-old to climb up many teams’ draft boards. He finished the year with eight goals and 40 points in 69 games before putting together a stellar playoffs with Moose Jaw, registering a team-high seven points in seven games.

Brook will be heading to Canadiens’ development camp on July 2-6. He said he’s ready to go to Montreal and show them what he’s capable of.

“I’ll try to make a statement, show them who I am and that they made a good pick,” stated Brook.

Brook was the only Warrior to hear his name called on Draft Day, but two other players will be heading off to teams’ development camps.

Forward Tanner Jeannot, who attended training camp with the Minnesota Wild last season, will be heading to the Washington Capitals camp, while Warriors’ leading scorer Jayden Halbgewachs is making his way to Las Vegas to attend camp with the Golden Knights.

Former Warrior Nikita Popugaev dropped from a projected first round pick and wasn’t selected until the fourth round, 98th overall, by the New Jersey Devils.