He went from a relatively unknown prospect at the start of the 2018-19 season to a first round pick at this weekend's NHL Draft.

It's been a wild year for Moose Jaw Warriors forward Brayden Tracey, who is now a member of the Anaheim Ducks after being selected 29th overall on Friday.

"Honestly, my body was just shaking, I was just nerves and a bit of shock, going up on stage, there's a lot of adrenaline running through your body, but it's special," said Tracey on the moment his name was called at Rogers Arena.

Tracey is the first player in Warriors franchise history to be selected by the Ducks. The Calgary product said he’s looking forward to being a part of the Anaheim organization.

"It's a great place to live to start off, one of the guys at the table for the organization came up to me and said, 'You don't have to worry about wearing a jacket', so that's something I'll have to get used to," said Tracey.

"I have lots to bring to them, I'm going to bring a big heart and play with a chip on my shoulder so if I do that, I'll be successful. Knowing their records and Stanley Cup history is something cool and I hope to be a part of that one day."

Tracey came into this season as a 17-year-old rookie in the Western Hockey League, but he slowly showed that his extra year of development was a benefit.

He was a 'C' prospect on NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch list, which indicates a 4th-6th round prospect. He rose from 73rd among North American skaters at the mid-term rankings to 21st in the final rankings, before being the Ducks used their first round pick on him.

"This year was definitely something special and one that I won't forget," said Tracey.

"It's a trust process with the organization in Moose Jaw, they trusted me as the year went on and I trusted them. Them sending me back for another year in midget is the best thing to ever happen to me other than getting picked by the Ducks."

Tracey feels that extra year in midget helped him jump right into a big role with the Warriors this past season, which allowed him to lead all rookies in the CHL with 36 goals and 81 points. He won WHL Rookie of the Year and was a finalist for the CHL honour.

All that eventually led to him flying up the draft rankings and becoming a first-round selection.

Tracey said he now needs to top it moving forward, "There's going to be a lot of people watching, so obviously the pressure will be there at times but I'm going to stay calm and just play my game," he said.

Tracey is heading down to Anaheim this week for the Ducks' development camp.