Chiefs take Ty Smith with first pick in WHL draft

Alberta's Ty Smith in a game against Team Ontario. (Jonathan Hayward/CP)

CALGARY — The Spokane Chiefs selected defenceman Ty Smith with the first overall pick in the Western Hockey League’s bantam draft Thursday.

The five-foot-10, 160-pound defender from Lloydminster, Alta., had nine goals, 19 assists and 19 penalty minutes in 16 games for Delta Hockey Academy this past season.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes chose defenceman Calen Addison from Brandon, Man., with the second pick. The Vancouver Giants selected centre Tyler Popowich from Surrey, B.C., at third.

Players born in 2000 were eligible to be selected Thursday.

The WHL can draft players from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as the U.S. states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

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