Carter Bear’s season ended when he was cut by a skate blade on March 9, suffering a partially torn Achilles tendon that required surgery. It was a serious injury but did not deter the Detroit Red Wings from selecting the left wing from WHL Everett 13th overall Friday at the NHL draft. And they’re confident it won’t affect his career moving forward.

The Detroit Red Wings had quite a few reasons to draft Carter Bear, but his relentless nature was at the top of the list.

The Wings were contacted by teams beneath them in the first round, attempting to see if they'd move down the draft order while getting more picks. But with forward Carter Bear still available when the Wings picked 13th overall, the Wings weren't interested.