PDA

View Full Version : Winter Hawks Ready to Pick First Overall



nivek_wahs
05-02-2007, 04:32 AM
http://www.winterhawks.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=938&Itemid=1

Winter Hawks Ready to Pick First Overall
Thursday’s WHL Bantam Draft

Dean Vrooman - April 30, 2007


The Portland Winter Hawks are busy sorting out their options regarding the first overall choice in Thursday’s WHL Bantam Draft in Calgary, Alberta.



The draft starts at 8 a.m., Portland time, and fans can track the progress on the internet at www.whl.ca. Shortly after the Hawks make their choice, there will be a press release on the Hawks’ website at www.winterhawks.com outlining the specifics of the Hawks’ decision. At the end of the draft, there will be an additional press release detailing Portland’s other choices made in Thursday’s draft.

Director of Hockey Operations Jim Goldsmith, General Manager Ken Hodge, Director of Player Personnel Gord Loiselle and managing owner Jack Donovan will all be at the draft table on Thursday. This is the first time the Hawks have had the number one overall choice since 2000 when they chose defenseman Braydon Coburn, now a member of the Philadelphia Flyers. Portland also has two second round selections in Thursday’s draft, their own and Brandon’s second round choice acquired in exchange for 20-year-old Rob Klinkhammer at the WHL trading deadline this past season.

Other high profile ex-Hawks that have been chosen in the WHL Bantam Draft include finals include Jason Wiemer of the New Jersey Devils, chosen in the first round in 1991 and Andrew Ference of the Boston Bruins, chosen in the first round in 1994. But, as with all drafts, early choices don’t always pan out and there are often “diamonds in the rough” in the later rounds, or even after the draft is over. For example, ex-Hawk Brenden Morrrow, now the team captain of the Dallas Stars, went through the entire 1994 WHL Bantam Draft without being selected by any team. He came to the Hawks as a free agent, made the team as a 16-year-old, and the rest is history.

The Bantam Draft is the first opportunity for WHL teams to draft, and place on their 50-player protected lists, players born in 1992 that will have a “hockey age” of 15 years-old during the upcoming 2007-08 season. These players are not available to play full time until 2008-09 when their “hockey age” is 16. The WHL Bantam Draft started in 1990 with just a one-round selection process. Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks a first round WHL Bantam Draft selection of the Seattle Thunderbirds in 1994 Wade Redden, one of the top defensemen for the Ottawa Senators, now in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, was a fist round selection in the Bantam Draft by the Brandon Wheat Kings.

nivek_wahs
05-03-2007, 08:20 PM
http://www.winterhawks.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=944&Itemid=1


Management Team Pleased with Results of 2007 WHL Bantam Draft

Dean Vrooman - May 3, 2007

The Portland Winter Hawks hockey operations brain trust at the draft table in today’s WHL Bantam Draft was very pleased with the way things turned out.

Portland was able to trade down in the first round and still get a player management considered to choose first overall, while adding another second round draft pick to give the club four choices in the first 39 overall.

“The entire key to this draft was flip-flopping our first round choices with Moose Jaw and getting four picks in the first 39,“ said Hawks’ General Manager Ken Hodge. “We are very happy with (first choice, 5th overall) Bradley Ross, his skill ability, and his scoring touch. We think that we got some quality players, and our task at hand now is to review them and to get these players signed.”

“We got the guy we were hoping for in the first round when we made the deal,” said Hawks’ Managing Owner Jack Donovan. “And then we were able to set ourselves up to have three choices in the second round. That is very, very significant in the long range plan for our hockey team.”

Donovan also said several general managers from other teams came up and told him they thought the Hawks did very well to add 16-year-old winger Michael Burns to their protected list in the trade with Moose Jaw. They said he was a highly regarded choice in last year’s Bantam Draft, where Moose Jaw selected him with their third round pick and Donovan said a couple of reporters covering the draft in person in Calgary asked him if Burns was the key to the Hawks making the trade.

“Actually, the trade with Moose Jaw was a win, win,” said Portland Director of Hockey Operations Jim Goldsmith. “We got the player we wanted, and they got to trade up to get the player they wanted (left wing Quinton Howden first overall). We also get a player that just might play for us next year (Burns). We needed the extra picks. Any time you have an opportunity to draft that many times in the first and second rounds, you’ve got to do it.”

Goldsmith says the focus now will be to make sure all of the players selected today hear the true story of the Winter Hawks and where the organization is headed. He says the off-season has already been productive in addressing scheduling and arena issues and that today’s draft is just one piece of the puzzle toward getting the Hawks back to the top in the WHL.

“We are going to work the rest of our protected list very, very hard in the next month or two,” Goldsmith added. “We have to see what shakes out there, and we also have to immediately analyze what players may be out there at today’s draft age that may be off everyone’s radar. It is very clear that the best teams every season have been able to get some of their best players by finding talent that was not drafted and we have to do the same.”

The Hawks chose a total of 11 players in today’s draft, but all teams receive an extra temporary spot on their protected list until the expansion draft for the new Edmonton Oil Kings that will begin play next season in the Central Division, so the Hawks will only have to drop five players off their 50-player protected list.

Here is a thumbnail sketch of all of Portland’s picks made today with a compilation of various team scouting reports from Director of Player Personnel Gord Loiselle and his staff:

1st Round (# 5 overall, acquired from Moose Jaw today) – Bradley Ross, (Born 5-28-92), Left Wing, 5’11, 140, Lethbridge, Alberta. Played for Val Meotti AAA Bantams in Lethbridge, posting (41-41-82) with 78 penalty minutes in 31 games. Added (15-8-23) with 46 penalty minutes in 10 playoff games. Played in the 2007 Alberta Cup, posting (5-4-9) with 12 penalty minutes in 5 games. Played AAA bantam hockey as a 13-year-old in 2005-06 in Lethbridge, posting (13-25-38) with 62 penalty minutes in 33 games. Bradley’s brother, Nick, is a defenseman with the Regina Pats that is rated in the first round of the upcoming NHL draft, # 26 overall, by McKeen’s Draft Rating Service.

“Drives to the net, shoots the puck, and when he plays at his best, he is a threat every time he steps on the ice. Good in tight. Bradley has really good speed with special skills. He is a goal scorer.”

2nd Round (# 24 overall) – Kyzen Loo (5-12-92), Left Wing, 5’10, 155, Richmond, BC. Played AAA Bantam hockey for the Seafair Islanders. (No regular season stats available). At a bantam AAA tournament in Victoria, Kyzen had (4-6-10) in 4 games and at the renown KIBIHT bantam tournament in Kamloops, he posted a whopping (9-10-19) in 5 games to lead the tournament in scoring.

“A skill guy that is very gifted offensively. Great passer. Kyzen is very talented with great hands. He finds open ice well. He has good size and is not afraid to use his skill, even when outnumbered. Makes plays and scores.”

2nd Round (# 28 overall – acquired from Moose Jaw today) – Joe Morrow (12-9-92), Defense, 5’11, 175, Strathcona, Alberta. Played AAA Bantam hockey for Strathcona, posting (16-16-32) with 75 penalty minutes in 32 games and added (2-3-5) with 8 penalty minutes in 4 playoff games. At a bantam AAA tournament in Edmonton, he had (4-4-8) with 20 penalty minutes in 5 games and at the renown KIBHT bantam tournament in Kamloops, he posted (0-9-9) with 18 penalty minutes in 7 games. His father, Dave, also a defenseman, was an original Winter Hawk in 1976-77 and Joe’s brother, Josh, another defenseman, played for Medicine Hat, Tri-Cities, Kamloops and Kootenay in the WHL.

“Good size with soft hands and a great shot that he used very well on the power play. Good mobility and good lateral movement for a big guy. Decent skill. Good patience with the puck.”

2nd Round (# 39 overall – acquired from Brandon in the Rob Klinkhammer trade) – Keith Hamilton (3-1-92), Goaltender, 5’11, 140, Kelowna, BC. Played AAA Bantam hockey for the Kelowna Junior Rockets, where he appeared in 16 games. (No regular season stats available).

“A good, solid technical goalie that stands up and looks confident. Played several games where he was the reason his team was close and played a very big role in winning others. Stops many tough shots. Moves side to side very well.”

3rd Round – Portland’s lone choice was traded to Moose Jaw today.

4th Round (# 68 overall) – Taylor Peters (1-24-92), Left Wing, 6’1, 185, Delta, BC. Played AAA Bantam hockey with South Delta, posting (37-28-65) with 148 penalty minutes in 72 games. Also posted (2-1-3) with 6 penalty minutes in 5 games at the bantam tournament in Kamloops.

“A very big man, huge, that uses his size well, finishes checks, drives to the net and protects the puck. He can really shoot the puck. He dominated, at times, with his size, and has decent skills too. Creates room with his physical play. Loves to crush people. Could turn out to be a big time power forward.”

5th Round (# 103 overall – acquired from Kamloops in the Dustin Butler trade) – Matt Maleschuk (9-2-92), Defense, 6’0, 165, Calgary, Alberta. Played AAA Bantam hockey in Calgary with the Rangers, posting (3-10-13) with 34 penalty minutes in 33 games and added (0-2-2) in 4 playoff games. Also played in the Alberta Cup with the South Flames, posting (1-3-4) in 5 games.

“Very good skater with a strong stride. Passes the puck fairly well and projects as a simple, solid, stay-at-home d-man that competes hard and plays smart.”

5th Round (# 104 overall – acquired from Moose Jaw today. Originally Seattle’s pick that was traded to Moose Jaw in the Andre Herman deal) – Daniel Johnston (10-17-92), Defense, 5’10, 167, Calgary, Alberta. Played AAA Bantam hockey in Calgary with the Bruins, posting (7-8-15) with 40 penalty minutes in 20 games and added (1-0-1) in 5 playoff games. Posted (3-4-7) in 5 games at the Kamloops KIHBT bantam tournament. Also played in the Alberta Cup with the North Stars, posting (1-1-2) in 5 games.

“A smaller d-man that can skate and pass. Definitely skilled. Plays hard. Carries the puck and can make plays.”

6th Round (# 112 overall) – Zachary Rassell (1-22-92), Right Wing, 5’11, 160, Calgary, Alberta. Played bantam AAA hockey for the Bruins, posting (23-5-28) in 33 games and adding (2-2-4) in 5 games in the playoffs. Also played in the Alberta Cup with the North Stars, posting (4-2-6) in 5 games.

“Good at deflecting shots, pretty good hands, and goes to the net well. Has a great potential to improve. Good size, works hard, and finishes checks. Scores some goals and battles. Looks like he has the potential to fill out and be a big guy.”

7th Round (# 150 overall, acquired from Tri-Cities in the Justin Mazurek trade) – Ryan Johansen, (7-31-92), Center/Defense, 5’9, 150, Port Moody, BC. Played AAA bantam hockey for the Port Moody Thunder (stats not available).

“Good skater that sees the ice well and has decent size. He played both defense and forward at various times this season, sometimes in the same game. Makes things happen. Shows some offensive ability and a willingness to play physical.”

nivek_wahs
05-03-2007, 08:21 PM
Previous post continued...


8th Round (# 156 overall) – Teal Burns (10-10-92), Center, 5’8, 155, Victoria, BC. Played AAA Bantam hockey for the Victoria Racquet Club Kings (no stats available). Posted (3-1-4) with 8 penalty minutes in 5 games at the Kamloops KIBHT bantam tournament, (4-2-6) in 4 games at a bantam tournament in Victoria, and (2-1-3) in 5 games at a bantam tournament in St. Albert, Alberta.

“Has a nice skill set and wheels. Shows an offensive upside. Creates chances with his hard work and can score goals. A smaller guy that competes hard and that should help him play in traffic at the next level.”

9th Round (# 178 overall) – Vince Nash (9-14-92), Right Wing, 6’1, 170, Champlin, Minnesota. Played A Bantam hockey for Champlin Park, posting (18-13-31) in 22 games.

“A manchild that has a big upside. He is not the quickest kid yet, but he has got hands and a booming shot. He can play either wing, he goes to the corners, and he can finish. He is definitely committed to coming to our Prospects Camp in June and is excited about the league.”

The Hawks traded their 10th and 11th round selections to Prince George for a future choice to be determined in next year’s Bantam Draft.