Natural, raw, goal-scoring talent was evident in Devin Setoguchi's early childhood, which made him a highly saude-after piece in the 2002 WHL Bantam Draft. He was taken by the Blades 5th overall — the first step towards reaching the NHL and living out a childhood dream. After two seasons in the WHL, Setoguchi was selected 8th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks — a draft class that included Sidney Crosby, Bobby Ryan, and Carey Price. In fact, San Jose traded up four spots to ensure the Setoguchi pick, which came before Anze Kopitar and T.J. Oshie. Needless to say, Setoguchi was a superstar in the making. He made his NHL debut as a teenager and was quickly thrown onto a line with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. His sophomore campaign saw him reach the 30-goal plateau and put up a career-high 65 points. What many people didn't see on the surface were early signs of alcoholism, which grew into a fierce addiction in the mid-2010's. On April 1st, 2015, Setoguchi made one of the most important phone calls of his life — reaching out to Dr. Brian Shaw, the co-founder of the NHL's substance abuse program, and entered rehab four days later. In this week's episode, Setoguchi relives the glory days of playing for the Blades, and shares details of the trade which sent him to BC's Peace Region. He also looks back on the 2005 NHL Draft, the excitement of playing in San Jose, and the turmoil which ultimately fuelled his addiction to alcohol. Today, Setoguchi, his wife, and two children reside in San Jose, CA and own/operate an F45 Training Centre. Outside of their chat with Setoguchi, Mitch and Les also discuss the local sports scene, the latest news in the World Juniors, and tease a special edition of Blades Uncut which will be released on Christmas Eve.
