NHL ENTRY DRAFT

July 8, 1995

Aki-Petteri Berg

INTERPRETER: He is really happy. He has been waiting for this day for a long time. He is excited about everything. He followed the ARIES career for a long time and he is really excited to get on the same team with KURRI and Gretzky. He is really happy about -- this is the highest draft pick ever by Finnish players and he is really happy with the team too.

Scott Stevens.

Yeah, he plays a little bit like Scott Stevens, that is true. It's going to be a great moment because he is already such a big star in Finland and he has been waiting for this chance for a long time. He doesn't know for sure because he already might be in Finland and he might see him before training camp. It's a little problem. He is going to start practicing learning English right after his Army is over.

The Army.

Two more months he is out, September 9 and he has been there a total of eight months.

Early on he had to do a lot more and nowadays when he is going towards the end, he doesn't have to do too much.

Early on he went like with everybody else, he ran in the woods and shooting and all the basic thing for what they do in the Army in Finland.

Finland is, as you know, a little bit colder and he had a chance to go with me to Anaheim so the weather is a little bit tougher for the body, it is hotter because you sweat more, but he is happy about it. When he is going to the training camp, then he might decide to go to Disneyland. He feels great about it. It has been a lot of hard work, many years, and he is really happy to be picked as high as he has been. He is in the Army now so right after the Army he will start taking lessons.