Months of scouting came to a head Thursday in Calgary when the WHL held its annual Bantam Draft. The 22 clubs picked 231 players from Western Canada and the U.S (although no Americans were taken in the first round).
The players selected were born in 2000—yes, it’s the CHL’s first 21st century draft—and won’t be eligible to play full time in the league for another year.
WHL.ca has a full list of the picks up, but here is how the first round played out:
1. Spokane Chiefs (from Saskatoon), Ty Smith, D, Lloydminster, Alta.
The Saskatoon Blades had to sit and watch the Spokane Chiefs use their pick to select Smith with the No. 1 pick. The highly skilled blueliner played for Delta Hockey Academy Bantam Prep this season and picked up 28 points in 16 games. Vision and playmaking are Smith’s strong suits and he will give the Chiefs another top end prospect to go with 16-year-old Kailer Yamamoto in the coming years.
2. Lethbridge Hurricanes, Calen Addison, D, Brandon, Man.
The Hurricanes are looking to get their franchise back on the right path and Addison is a good start. The Brandon Wheat Kings Bantam AAA blueliner otted an incredible 76 points in only 31 games. His 45 goals led the league by six, and he’s a defenceman.
3. Vancouver Giants, Tyler Popowich, F, Surrey, B.C.
The Giants picked up the first forward in the draft by snatching a local product from Surrey. Popowich played for the Okanagan Hockey Academy. At 15 years old he’s listed at 6-foot-4 and will give the Giants size up front in the near future. Growing up in Surrey, Popowich was a Giants fan and should be a crowd favorite very soon.
4. Moose Jaw Warriors (from Kamloops), Jett Woo, D, Winnipeg, Man.
With perhaps the best name in the draft, Woo gets selected by Moose Jaw from the Winnipeg Warriors Bantam team. Another highly skilled puck-moving D-man, he notched 37 points this season and has been one of the highest-rated prospects all year. A solid two-way player, he is not afraid to play a physical game.
5. Prince Albert Raiders, Cole Fonstad, F, Estevan, Sask.
A playmaker and great skater. Skating for the Estevan Bruins he scored 36 goals in 29 games and ended the year with 67 points. He is listed at 5-foot-9 and the Raiders are hoping that he can turn into a top line centre in the future.
6. Moose Jaw Warriors, Luka Burzan, F, Surrey, B.C.
The Warriors used their second of the top-six selections to take the North Shore Winter Club star. Is he a goal-scorer? How does 80 goals in 51 games sound? He ended his year with an absurd 131 points and combined with Woo, should have Warriors fans excited.
7. Tri City Americans, Carson Focht, F, Regina, Sask.
Tri City took the South Saskatchewan Midget Hockey League’s leading scorer. The offensive minded centre lit the lamp 39 times in 38 games with the Notre Dame Hounds, which bodes well for a Tri City team that has struggled to score goals the past two seasons.
8. Prince George Cougars, Jackson Leppard, F, North Vancouver, B.C.
Sporting the second-best name in the draft, Leppard is taken by the Cougars who hope that he can duplicate his offensive output when he reaches the WHL. With the North Shore Winter Club last season he put up 89 points in 63 games.
9. Spokane Chiefs, Koby Morrisseau, F, Grandview, Man.
Spokane went defence with the first pick in the draft and swiped a forward with their second choice. Morrisseau played with the Parkland Rangers thiss eason and lit up the league with 39 goals in 20 games.
10. Swift Current Broncos, Riley Stotts, F, Winnipeg, Man.
Stotts rounded out the top 10 and will give the Broncos a skilled forward who is a top-end skater. His 68 points with the Winnipeg Monarchs was impressive.
11. Edmonton Oil Kings, Ethan Cap, D, North Vancouver, B.C.
The Oil Kings went for size. Cap is listed at 6-foot-2 and is considered to have a tremendous upside. His 36 assists this season show that he has some puck moving ability.
12. Saskatoon Blades (from Kootenay), Jonathan Tychonick, D, Calgary, Alta.
The Blades finally got to make a picks and went with an offensive minded defenceman. The 5-fott-10 Tychonick racked up 58 points on 20 goals with the Calgary Northwest Flames.
13. Victoria Royals, Eric Florchuk, F, Fort Saskatchewan, Sask.
Scored 46 points last year with the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers and was selected as an all-star at the Alberta Cup.
14. Regina Pats, Dawson Barteaux, D, Foxwarren, Man.
The Pats went with a big blueliner with their first pick. Barteaux is listed at 6-foot even and totaled 27 points with the Yellowhead Chiefs. He’s described as a smart, skilled puckmover.
15. Seattle Thunderbirds, Elijah Brown, F, Edmonton, Alta.
Brown is a high-energy player from the SSAC Lions. Listed at 5-foot-7, the forward will fit in with the style of play that head coach Steve Konowalchuk has his Thunderbirds playing.
16. Red Deer Rebels, Jacob Herauf, D, Sherwood Park, Alta.
Red Deer was busy, making two trades and selecting Herauf with their first pick. With the Sherwood Park Flyers, Herauf picked up 23 points. The Rebels also acquired Ivan Nikolishin from the Everett Silvertips for a third-round pick and a conditional fourth. The Rebels then got a third-rounder back by shipping Connor Gay to Saskatoon for.
17. Portland Winterhawks, no selection
Sanctions handed down by the WHL in 2012 meant no first-rounder, but it was recently announced that they’ve had their 2017 pick reinstated.
18. Medicine Hat Tigers, Ryan Chyzowski, F, Kamloops, B.C.
The Tigers get the son of former New York Islander Dave Chyzowski. Ryan has good size—listed as 6-foot and 170 lb.—and is said to be tough around the net.
19. Saskatoon Blades (from Everett), Chase Wouters, F, Lloydminster, Alta.
This is the pick the Blades got in return for Nikita Scherbak. Wouters totaled 57 points with the Lloydminster Heat, playing in 32 games.
20. Calgary Hitmen, Tristen Nielsen, F, Calgary, Alta.
Mark French’s Calgary team played a tough, gritty game last year and, despite being just 5-foot-9, scouts say Nielsen should fit right in. The centre potted a goal per game with Edge Academy Bantam Prep.
21. Prince Albert Raiders (from Kelowna), Carson Miller, Yorkton, Sask.
The Raiders used their second pick of the first round to pick up a player who put up video game-like numbers this season. Skating for the Yorkton Terriers, Miller ended the year with 107 points… in 31 games.
22. Brandon Wheat Kings, Caiden Daley, F, Winnipeg, Man.
The Wheat Kings rounded out the first round by picking up Daley from the nearby Winnipeg Warriors. Daley has good size and can score, which he proved with his 61 points in 32-game campaign.