Hockey fans were zoned in on Friday night and Saturday morning as the 2017 NHL Entry Draft was held in Chicago.

While there were dozens of storylines to follow, there were a few notable connections to Estevan and southeast Saskatchewan that made the experience hit closer to home.

Turns out Affinity Place has seen some top-end talent and future NHL'ers in Estevan over the past couple years!

CALE MAKAR - Drafted 4th overall by the Colorado Avalanche

Cale Makar (middle) with EMHA President Craig Wanner and former NHL goaltender Chico Resch.

Makar became the highest drafted player out of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) on Friday night. Makar has played the last two seasons with the Brooks Bandits, scoring 130 points (34G, 96A) in 108 regular season games and helping lead Brooks to back-to-back league championships.

Estevan had the opportunity to see Makar play first-hand during the 2016 Western Canada Cup hosted in the Energy City. Makar had 5 points (1G, 4A) in six games and was named as one of the top two defenceman in the tournament.

READ MORE: 2016 Western Canada Cup Player Awards

Brooks finished as the top team in the round robin, but lost in the WCC Final to the West Kelowna Warriors. Both teams advanced to the RBC Cup in Lloydminister to play for a national 'Junior A' hockey title, where West Kelowna eliminated Brooks in the semi-final en route to the Warriors winning the championship. During that tournament, Makar was named RBC Cup MVP with 7 points (4G, 3A) in five games.

This past season, Makar and the Bandits repeated as AJHL champions, won the Western Canada Cup in Penticton, BC, and lost in the RBC Cup championship game (1-0 OT) to the host Cobourg Cougars in Ontario. Makar became the first player ever to repeat as RBC Cup MVP and was later named as the Canadian Junior Hockey League National Player of the Year.

CALE FLEURY - Drafted 87th overall by the Montreal Canadiens

A homegrown talent! Fleury was born in Carlyle and played the 2011/12 season with the AA Bantam Bruins in Estevan, scoring 10 points (2G, 8A) as a first-year player that season.

READ MORE: Former AA Bantam Bruins Selected In NHL Entry Draft

Fleury joins his brother in the NHL, as Haydn Fleury was picked 7th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2014.

NICK HENRY - Drafted 94th overall by the Colorado Avalanche

Nick Henry playing for the Portage Terriers, his hometown team, during the 2016 WCC.

Henry was a member of the Portage Terriers squad that represented the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) during the 2016 Western Canada Cup in Estevan. 

Henry scored one of the more memorable goals of the tournament, deflecting home the winning goal in double-overtime against the Melfort Mustangs in the first elimination game of the WCC. Portage was knocked out of the tournament in the next game by West Kelowna.

VIDEO: Henry Scores Double-OT Winner For Portage

Henry played the past season for the WHL's Regina Pats, scoring 81 points (35G, 46A) in 72 regular season games and adding 12 points (4G, 8A) in 22 playoff games as the Pats lost in six games in the WHL championship to the Seattle Thunderbirds.

PARKER FOO - Drafted 144th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks

Foo has spent the last two seasons playing with Makar and the Brooks Bandits. Foo had 66 points (34G, 32A) in 60 regular season games before adding 20 points (10G, 10A) in 13 playoff games.

Parker Foo druing a round robin game at the 2016 Western Canada Cup in Estevan.

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Which players currently with Estevan Minor Hockey, Moose Mountain Minor Hockey, or playing against Estevan teams next season will have their named called by an NHL team in the near future? Who knows for sure...

But the only way for you to say, "I saw that kid play in Estevan! And now he's in the show!", is to support your local minor hockey program. Keep that in mind for the upcoming season in 2017/18!