Gretzky talks NHL Draft experience with Lafreniere, Stuetzle The unknown regarding when the 2020 NHL Draft will be held hasn't dampened the top prospects' excitement about being selected. "I think it's going to be pretty different," Alexis Lafreniere told Wayne Gretzky during the latest episode of the NHL series "#HockeyAtHome," which premiered Wednesday on NBCSN, SN, NHL.com and the NHL Facebook, IGTV and YouTube platforms. "But I think it's still really fun to get drafted and be with your family at home enjoying the time with them." Lafreniere, a forward who scored 112 points (35 goals, 77 assists) in 52 games with Rimouski of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season, is No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's ranking of North American skaters eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft. He was among five prospects who participated in the video call with Gretzky. The Hockey Hall of Fame center also sat down with center prospect Quinton Byfield, forward prospect Tim Stuetzle and defensemen prospects Jamie Drysdale and Jake Sanderson. Stuetzle, who scored 34 points (seven goals, 27 assists) in 41 games for Mannheim of Deutsche Eishockey Liga, Germany's top professional league, is the No. 1 ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting. Byfield, Drysdale and Sanderson are ranked Nos. 2, 3 and 4, respectively, among North American skaters. The draft, originally to be held at Bell Centre in Montreal on June 26-27, has yet to be rescheduled after being postponed on March 25 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. The NHL season was paused on March 12. After watching the NFL conduct its virtual draft from April 23-25, Lafreniere, Byfield, Drysdale, Sanderson and Stuetzle have a good idea what it might be like for them if continuing concerns about the coronavirus prevent the NHL from holding its draft in an arena or another centralized location. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the picks from the basement of his home in Westchester, New York; the players waited with their families in their homes to hear their names called. "Obviously, going to the draft in a hockey rink and having that experience is a big part of it," said Sanderson, who scored 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 47 games as captain of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team this season. "Even being able to meet other guys from different countries, that's a big part of it, too. But being with your family, and seeing how the NFL did it, they did a pretty good job. So I'm excited to see what they do." Byfield, who scored 82 points (32 goals, 50 assists) in 45 games with Sudbury of the Ontario Hockey League this season, said: "You dream about going up on stage and putting on a hat and missing that will definitely [stink], but you'll still be with your family on draft day, so that's a huge thing. That's not too bad either." During a normal draft year, the prospects would be using this time to prepare for 2020 NHL Scouting Combine, which was scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo before also being postponed March 25. Instead, like players in the NHL, they have been spending time with their families and working out with whatever equipment they have at their homes. "My trainer gave me a little program and my parents and I kind of transformed my living room into a little gym so we can all kind of work out in there," said Drysdale, who scored 47 points (nine goals, 38 assists) in 49 games with Erie of the OHL this season. "So I'm just trying to stay in as much shape as I can and enjoying the time here with my family." Stuetzle spent four weeks at home before returning to Mannheim to begin preparing for the 2020-21 season. There is no ice in place to skate on yet, but Stuetzle said he has been in-line skating and shooting pucks with a small group of players. "I really enjoyed the time with my parents," Stuetzle said. "We have two dogs at home, and it's been funny. There have been a lot of card games or we watch Netflix together. Sometimes I play PlayStation in the room, but the rest [of the time] we were together, and it was a lot of fun being home and enjoying time with my family." Gretzky, who retired following the 1998-99 season as the NHL all-time leading scorer with 2,857 points (894 goals, 1,963 assists) in 1,487 games, covered a wide range of other topics with the prospects, including their strengths as players, which League teams and players were their favorites and their experiences at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship. He concluded the episode by offering some advice. "When you think you've worked hard, you work that much harder because there's nothing like being an NHL player," Gretzky said, "and if you get that early on in your mind how great the game is and everything that goes with it -- the practices, the travel, the media -- you'll embrace it that much quicker. I wish you all the best of luck and I hope all your dreams come true, and I hope you guys go on to have great NHL careers."