The 2003 NHL Entry Draft in Nashville still feels like yesterday to forward Ryan Kesler.

“It’s pretty crazy how things go by so quick,” said Kesler, who went 23rd overall to the Vancouver Canucks.

Kesler, now in his 12th season of a highly productive NHL career and his second with the Anaheim Ducks, was one of the early pioneers of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, a place the Livonia, Michigan, native credits for his success.

“[The NTDP] gave me a base to succeed,” Kesler said. “They kind of make you grow up fast in the organization, and with the NTDP, I went in as a scrawny kid and they teach you how to lift and workout and be a professional before you get to be a professional. I owe a lot to that program.”

It all started in Livonia, where the now-31-year-old Kesler said his father Mike and brother Todd cultivated his love for the game.

“I was at the rink until it was dark,” Kesler said. “It was every day, and I enjoyed it.”

His father, who initially coached Kesler’s Triple-A team, instilled a defensive philosophy at a young age, which helped Ryan flourish as he moved on to play for Detroit Compuware and Honeybaked, where he scored 117 points in 72 games.

“I think playing for [my dad] definitely helped my game,” Kesler said. “It really just taught me the defensive side of the game, and then I went on from there.”

That’s when Kesler chose to play at the NTDP.

He liked that the program included daily on-ice instruction and felt it would help his development, while remaining about a half hour from home. Kesler was able to learn the game at a high level while living at home — a rarity for NTDP players — and eventually graduated from his high school.

“Obviously, it was tough to get close to your teammates when they go to a different school and they were all together, so you’re a bit out of the loop there,” Kesler said. “But to grow up with your childhood friends and to be able to graduate with them was special.

“At the time you really don’t think about it, but looking back, I got pretty lucky to be able to live at home and spend time with my parents while playing hockey.”

Kesler finished his NTDP career with 99 points in 131 games, but he particularly stood out on the international stage, where he helped Team USA win two gold medals. Kesler was named best player of the 2002 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship with seven points in eight games as the U.S. won its first gold medal in U18 competition.

After the Canucks drafted him, Kesler scored three goals during the 2004 World Junior Championship in Helsinki, Finland. The last one came in the gold-medal game as Kesler helped Team USA to its first World Junior Championship title.

“It was special,” Kesler said. “That group came together and we basically won everything we tried. We had a really good team, and a championship team, which was a lot of fun to play for.”

The wins helped create a culture among the U.S. program where the Americans have since captured eight U18 championships and two more World Junior titles. Kesler also represented the U.S. during the Olympic Winter Games on two separate occasions, including the 2010 silver-medal-winning squad.

“I don’t think it started with us, but I think our generation, growing up watching the ‘96 World Cup and Olympics gets you excited,” Kesler said. “You just wanted to make everybody proud, and we have.”

His is a decorated career that has also featured more than 200 goals, close to 500 points, two All-Star game appearances and the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward in 2011.

“It’s pretty crazy how this has all come about,” Kesler said. “It has gone by fast, but it’s been a lot of fun.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.