Dillon Heatherington won’t admit to checking out draft rankings to see how he matches up to the rest of the 2013 NHL Draft class.

But make no mistake, the Swift Current Broncos defenseman knows he could be knocking on the door of the first round on draft day.

“I try not to read too much,” Heatherington said. “I like taking it day-by-day because that’s the easiest for me. It keeps me focused on the task at hand. It is pretty easy, with the rankings, to get ahead of yourself.”

Still, Heatherington — 36th in Future Considerations’ final ranking for the 2013 draft — is less concerned with the number tagged to his name and more focused on what will happen shortly thereafter.

“To me, it doesn’t really matter,” he said. “As soon as you hit Day 1 at training camp, everyone is back to an even plane.”

It’s a lesson that might’ve been taught to him by teammate and d-partner Reece Scarlett.

In 2011, Scarlett was ranked 97th by Future Considerations heading into the draft but didn’t hear his name called until the New Jersey Devils plucked the Sherwood Park, AB. product in the sixth round, 159th overall.

That experience didn’t fall on deaf ears.

“Especially because he was ranked higher and didn’t go until the later rounds,” Heatherington said. “He’s talked me through it, saying that it doesn’t really matter when or where you go, it’s what you do after it.”

It doesn’t mean the 6-foot-2, 187-pound Caglary, AB product isn’t excited for the draft, though, or to hear his name called by a National Hockey League team.

It doesn’t take anything away from the journey either, which has taken him through 71 games with Swift Current, a gold medal at the World Under-18 Championship and a stressful week at the NHL Scouting Combine.

“It’s been fun; I’m really excited,” Heatherington said. “I’m just trying to kill some time until the day rolls around.”

And wait to find out which team calls his number on June 30th.