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Windsor’s Jakov Novak never let the disappointments get him down.

He was twice passed over in the Ontario Hockey League Draft. A year ago, when players his age were being selected for the National Hockey League Draft, there was no mention of his name.

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On Saturday, to the surprise of many, the Ottawa Senators selected the 19-year-old Novak in the seventh round of the NHL Draft.

“Not the most straightforward path,” admits Novak, who can play centre or wing. “That’s what makes me unique. Everyone has a different route.”

He played on the Windsor Junior Spitfires minor midget team in 2013-14 with Anthony Salinitri in 2013-14. Salinitri went on to be a first-round pick in the OHL and was taken by the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers two years later.

By contrast, Novak wasn’t even rated for the OHL Draft in 2014.

“My draft year, I was five-foot-eight and 155 pounds,” said Novak, who had two goals and 11 points in 32 games that season. “A year later, I was six-foot-two and 185 pounds.”