My Newest Player Collection: Emerson Etem, Southern California's Own.

I was fortunate enough to attend the 2010 NHL Draft held in L.A. at the Staples Center, and it was a phenomenal experience, especially as a Ducks' fan. The Ducks ended up with two first-round selections, and after selecting Cam Fowler, took the local favorite, Long Beach's own Emerson Etem. Etem went insane this past season, and I desperately wanted an autograph of the just-turned twenty-year-old.

Though he doesn't have any Ducks' hits, Emerson does have cards produced by In The Game which depict him in his WHL Medicine Hat Tigers' sweater. I'm extremely anxious to see what he'll do when he finally gets the call - which should be soon, and soon as in this season - because the Ducks could certainly use his potent scoring touch. Here are Emerson's numbers from his three seasons in junior hockey, with his playoffs points and games, respectively, in parentheses:

09-10: 72 Games, 37 Goals/28 Assists/65 Points (10 in 12 games)
10-11: 65 Games, 45 Goals/35 Assists/80 Points (21 in 15 games)
11-12: 65 Games, 61 Goals/46 Assists/107 Points (13 in 7 games)

Yeah, I can certainly get behind that. Etem's been added to the "Who I Collect" page at the top of the blog, and I can't wait until he gets some licensed cards with the Ducks' logo splashed all over 'em. It's going to be a blast collecting a guy I had the opportunity to see drafted live and in-person, and it was the only time I've seen Kings fans cheer something related to the Ducks.