San Jose Sharks draft pick Will Smith asked to sing 'Fresh Prince' theme song on ESPN
Wednesday night, the San Jose Sharks had the No. 4 overall pick in the NHL Draft. They used it to select center Will Smith.
No, not the “Fresh Prince.” This Will Smith is set to be a freshman hockey player at Boston College this coming season. Still, the DJ at Bridgestone Arena played the theme song to the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” as Smith walked to the stage.
After he heard his name called, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan then put Smith on the spot and asked him to sing it since he said he loved the song.
Smith, of course, picked his song — just as other players at the top of the draft board can do. In addition to being a fan of the song, he said he planned to “own” his name, which is why he rolled with it.
“I mean, I feel like I kind of had to,” Smith said. “The name, I’m trying to own it. I love the song, too.”
On the ice, Smith put together an impressive career at the junior level to make him a highly touted recruit to Boston College. At the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP), he had 51 goals and 76 assists in 60 games this past season. That put him second on the USNTDP’s single-season points list and added to his draft stock. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes actually projected Smith to go No. 6 overall to the Arizona Coyotes in his final mock draft.
Now, he’s off to San Jose, and ESPN’s Kristen Shilton likes his fit.
“What San Jose will appreciate is the high-end skill set Smith brings to its ranks,” Shilton wrote. “A smart two-way center, Smith is a gifted puck handler and primetime playmaker who can make skaters around him better and contribute on special teams, particularly in a penalty killing role. And given the rebuilding mode San Jose has been through in recent years the promise of what Smith will eventually add on a regular basis has to be truly exciting. Smith is a spark plug who should eventually be a top-line skater for the Sharks.”
Smith will join a Sharks team that finished third-to-last in the Western Conference last year with 60 points. That was just one more point than the Chicago Blackhawks, who ended up selecting No. 1. As a result, they had the first crack at Connor Bedard, and unsurprisingly took him atop the board after weeks of excitement around the city.