Better late than never.

That’s the sentiment Salmon Arm Minor Hockey product Tyler Shattock took away from being chosen in the fourth round (108th overall) by the St. Louis Blues in the NHL’s 2009 entry draft June 27.

Shattock, who is 19 and plays for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, was eligible to be drafted last year but a broken ankle suffered midway through the 2007-08 season took him off the NHL’s radar screen. Heading into this past season, his focus was on staying away from the disabled list.

“I hurt myself pretty bad last season and it set me back for the draft last year. This year, I was worried about staying healthy and I thought if I did that, I’d have a pretty good chance of getting drafted this year.”

Shattock suited up for 68 of Kamloops’ 72 games last season and averaged more than a point per game tallying 30 goals and 39 assists. He finished second in team scoring and picked up 82 penalty minutes.

It was the kind of season he was hoping to produce to catch the eye of pro scouts, though he says he wasn’t sure how high he would be chosen. He was glued to his computer watching the NHL’s website to see when he’d be drafted. He felt a mixture of feelings when he saw his name pop up.

“It was pretty much a bit of excitement and a bit of weight off my shoulders,” said the 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-winger. “I’m excited it happened and I’m excited to go to St. Louis.”

Shattock’s Blazers teammate, centre Jimmy Bubnick, was chosen in the sixth round by the Atlanta Thrashers. The two shared a celebratory phone call and Shattock got more congratulations from the Kamloops brass including coach Barry Smith and general manager Craig Bonner.

Thinking back to his time playing minor hockey while growing up in Salmon Arm, Shattock was quick to acknowledge his parents for helping him become the player he is now. He also mentioned coaches Sean Lund, Alan Harrison and Tom Marsh for contributing to his improvement on the ice.

Marsh, who coached Shattock from atom to bantam, says it’s not surprising the NHL has come calling for his former player.

“He’s always been a very hard worker, a very dedicated and very determined kid. He always liked to win and was fun to coach. He came a long ways and I’m real happy for him.”

Marsh recalls Shattock being bigger and stronger than the other kids in his age group but says he didn’t just rest on his physical gifts. Marsh has coached plenty of kids in different communities and Shattock is the first of his pupils to get drafted.

“It’s gratifying. I’ve coached a long time in different towns and it’s nice they feel you were a part of it.”

Shattock went to a free-agent prospect camp with the San Jose Sharks last year when his ankle healed and Marsh believes that experience helped.

“I noticed when he came back, his confidence was way up. I’m sure that had a big impact on his performance this year.”

Shattock left Monday for the Blues’ prospect camp where he’s not sure what to expect but knows what kind of an impression he wants to make on the team.

“They (St. Louis) called me after (the draft) and just said they’re excited to have me and asked me to come to the camp. I want to stay in St. Louis as long as I can and impress them.”

As a fourth-rounder, Shattock is a long shot to make the Blues this season and will likely return to Kamloops for his final WHL season. He is on the Gold team for prospect camp.