from Robert Murray of WHL.ca,

Those who know Joe well enough know that he wouldn’t back down from a challenge faced by players all across the globe each year: after being passed over once by NHL teams, what do I do to get better?

In the four seasons since, Joe has answered the question quite succinctly, making his NHL debut last week with the Detroit Red Wings.

“Leading up to it, it felt like, ‘Is it ever going to happen?'” Hicketts said. “Once it came, there was a little perspective put into it.

“Being as young as I am, 21, getting a chance to play in the NHL is something that obviously you dream of as a kid. The fact that I got there and was able to play, it was just excitement and actually playing.”

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