In early July, fans on stlouisblues.com were able to submit questions to Sam Kurker, the Blues' second round pick (56th overall) at the 2012 NHL Draft.

Kurker played in 24 games last season with St. John's Prep in Massachussetts, recording 60 points (32 goals and 28 assists) along with 23 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound Kurker describes himself as a power forward and was ranked 36th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. He is committed to play for Boston University.

Below are his answers to some of the questions we received.

1. You seem to be a good “under the radar” type guy. Could you tell us a little about your playing style and what you bring to the table? Thanks, and Go Blues, Go Alaska Aces and Go Peoria Rivermen. – Taylor Davis, Galesburg, IL
Sam Kurker: I think of myself as a power forward with a scoring touch. I go hard to the net and I try to open up space for others. I just try my hardest every shift.

2. Where will you be playing this upcoming season and how long do you think you will need before you are ready for the NHL? – Andrew Tomei, Rochester, NY
SK: I’m going to play at Boston University and I’ll take it year-by-year. I’m committed for four years right now, but we’ll figure that out.

3. What’s the best part of your game, and what is something you are working at to get better? By the way, it’s “soda” here and not “pop” like back home in Boston. – Jered Bauer, Collinsville, IL
SK: The best part of my game is probably my combination of size, speed and my shot, but I want to really work on my quickness off the wall. That’s a big step up from high school to college, so that’s what I’m really focusing on. (Regarding soda vs. pop), it caught my attention earlier when I got here at first…I guess I could get used to that.

4. How did you decide on college hockey and why was BU your final choice? – Brittany Shepard, Boston, MA
SK: I was a Boston kid all my life and I’ve been a BU fan for as long as I can remember. Once the offer came on the table to play for BU and Coach Parker, it was just no question and an easy decision for me.

5. What did it feel like to be drafted in the second round? Ian Steinmeyer, Maryland Heights, MO
SK: It’s every kid’s dream. It’s really exciting, especially when it’s a team like the Blues. It was a little bit hard standing up, a little bit of shock when you hear your name called. It was like wow, this is unbelievable. I felt so comfortable with St. Louis and I couldn’t be happier to be here. It’s a little bit of relief after all the stress you go through. But, I really know that the hard work starts now. I can’t celebrate too much…the hard work starts now.

6. What are your expectations as to what you want to do in the Blues organization and in the NHL? – Jack Wilcox, Collinsville, IL
SK: I want to help them win a Stanley Cup.