2007 Bantam Draft Discussion (everything related goes here)

[GBG BLEED BLUE]

So with the Bantam draft set to go on Thursday,it is good that the Blades have a top 5 pick. (4th overall)

I think there is a good chance that the Blades will pick a forward,that is what they need is scoring.

Let's get the discussion going.

I am hearing that the Blades might pick Brad Ross,it may be true. We will see come Thursday.

I think that the Blades might pick a goalie before the 5th round. I also think that the Blades might pick a defencemen in the 2nd-4th round.

Also let's use this thread for posting who the Blades pick throughout the entire draft as well as the discussion(so it is all in one thread.)

[Red celtic]

Calgary, AB – The 2007 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft will be held Thursday May 3 in Calgary at the Stampede Park Round-Up Centre

The annual WHL Bantam Draft is the first step in the identification of the top rated 1992-born prospects as WHL Clubs select players from this age group to add to their WHL Player Protected List.

In the first round of the WHL Bantam Draft, the Portland Winter Hawks won the lottery draw and will have the first selection overall. The Kelowna Rockets received the second overall pick, while the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings, who will begin play next season, will select third. In all subsequent rounds, the Edmonton Oil Kings will have the first selection.

The WHL also announced today that the Spokane Chiefs have been awarded a fourth round pick (23rd selection in the fourth round) as compensation for the loss this past season of a player on their protected list to the Ontario Hockey League.

Additionally, the WHL has withdrawn the Saskatoon Blades’ fifth round draft pick (3rd selection in the 5th round) due to a violation of the WHL Bantam Draft regulations.

Does anyone know why the Blades lost this pick? What was the violation?

[howley]

So wierd...something to do with that rumor I suspect?

[Tidball]

Thus my post should not be locked. nivek should reopen it.

[howley]

or how about you just continue it here,,,,,

[nivek_wahs]

Thus my post should not be locked. nivek should reopen it.Where does it say in the whl.ca release does it say that the Blades went and lost their 5th round selection for sigining guys? I see the quote and it has nothing to do with the rumour.

If they did try and go out and sign these potential first rounders... don't you think the punishment would have been harsher?

By the way I left the other thread locked.

http://whl.ca/news/?id=6917

Additionally, the WHL has withdrawn the Saskatoon Blades’ fifth round draft pick (3rd selection in the 5th round) due to a violation of the WHL Bantam Draft regulations.

[Trav]

what the team did instead of just say oh they violated this rule.

[Scout]

It's all over the league that the Blades did sign two players to education contracts even before they were drafted. It's also rumored that is why the quick exit of the Blades head scout because of a conflict over this with Lorne and breaking league rules. I applaud Lorne for the gutsy move. If CHL president Branch doesn't have the balls to stand up to teams in the OHL signing players in WHL territory then he can't really say alot on what Lorne did. The only problem is with him signing these two first round Manitoba players is if another team picks them before the Blades pick then the player contracts will be void i would think and the Blades lost a 3rd pick in the fifth round for nothing. Besides, talk to the players and parents before the draft to make sure they will report, then draft him and sign them. What Lorne did was alert teams even more before the draft on these two already high picks. Gutsy but dumb in my eyes. By the way, this is a WHL decision not the CHL but i'm sure Branch has seen what happened.

Scout

[Dwight Schrute]

i think it was dumb, lorne will lose a pick, head scout and probably not land either player now... no idea what the benefits were ???

[GBG BLEED BLUE]

From The Saskatoon Star Phoenix


Blades stung by WHL
WHL strips Saskatoon of fifth-round pick for inappropriate pre-draft conduct
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Thursday, May 03, 2007
In an unprecedented move, the Western Hockey League has stripped the Saskatoon Blades of a bantam draft pick.

The Blades still own the fourth overall pick in today's draft. However, they've been forced to relinquish a fifth-round pick (92nd overall).

"They proceeded, without authorization, to enter into an agreement with players (prior to the draft)," said WHL commissioner Ron Robison. "It's an unfortunate situation. We believe there was never any intent other than to make sure that if these players were drafted by the Blades, they would report to Saskatoon."


When contacted Wednesday by The StarPhoenix, one draft prospect said he signed a contract that committed him to playing in the WHL if the Blades drafted him. Other teams made similar requests, but the player signed only the contract with Saskatoon. For years, WHL teams have been wary of drafting players who might have aspirations of playing college hockey.

"All of the teams are doing the same thing," said the player's father. "Unfortunately, (the Blades) are the only guys that got caught doing it, I guess. I was told by an agent, though, that this is a common practice."

Asked why the Blades were singled out if other teams were making similar requests, commissioner Robison said "we got evidence and documents to support (the Blades' actions). The others were strictly allegations."

WHL teams traditionally contact players prior to the draft to find out about their backgrounds and personalities. However, Robison said the league plans to review how the teams and prospective players interact.

"There are no rights assigned to these players until the draft occurs," said Robison. "We'll be sitting down now and reviewing what will be permitted by clubs with respect to contact with players prior to the draft."

Blades coach-GM Lorne Molleken said he made an "honest mistake." WHL officials described Molleken and his staff as very co-operative and upfront in the investigation.

"It was a situation where I was promoting the Western Hockey League," said Molleken. "That was my intent all along. I broke a regulation and I was sanctioned.

"That was the decision Ron made and we live with it and we're going to move on."

Robison said the contract in question is "the standard player agreement which every player in the Western Hockey League signs."

In 2004, former Blades GM Brent McEwen raised the ire of some when he signed centre Colton Gillies to such a contract prior to the bantam draft. The Blades owned the second overall pick, behind the Prince George Cougars. Gillies, the consensus No. 1 player, had asked Prince George not to draft him. The Cougars opted to pick defenceman Ryan Kerr instead.

At the time, Robison vowed to investigate the situation. No sanctions were levied as a result.

Portland owns the first overall pick this season, followed by Kelowna, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Moose Jaw. The other 17 teams follow according to an inverse order of the regular-season standings.

"We don't have a problem if the pieces fall into place," said WHL vice-president Richard Doerksen. "If the team with the first pick signs their player (prior to the draft), then the second team can proceed. If they sign their player, it can move on down the chain. It's just that if a team circumvents that, that's contrary to our regulations."

The Blades have first- and second-round selections, but no third-rounder. Following their pick in the fourth round, 71st overall, they won't pick again until the seventh round, 148th overall.

cwolfe@sp.canwest.com




© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007

[wango tango]

with the fourth overall pick in the first round saskatoon selects charles inglis from winnipeg, mb.

moffatt goes to kelowna second overall, portland traded their 1st overall pick to moose jaw and the warriors selected howden from oakbank, mb.

[Bruins_Booster]

So I'm assuming Saskatoon got their man? :confused:

[Shortys]

So I'm assuming Saskatoon got their man? :confused:

Yes. It was between Quinton Howden and Charles Inglis that this whole thing was about, so now we have one of them.

Could this trade between Portland and Moose Jaw have something to do with what we did as well? This would have been the only way Moose Jaw could have gotten Howden before us......

[Trav]

oh well, Blades still got one of the top players in the draft :). The Saskatoon Star Phoenix should know that the Blades do have a 5th rounder still from Vancouver in the Neufeld deal. Not sure why the WHL site doesnt show it.

[Shortys]

You are right Trav, we did have Vancouvers 5th round pick for the Neufeld trade, but the 5th round has come and gone, and from the looks of things Vancouver used their 5th round slot! Whats the deal? Am I missing something?

[howley]

was it 08?

[Shortys]

was it 08?

According to the blades website, these were supposed to be their picks:


The Blades have their own 1st round (4th Overall) selection, 2nd round selection (27th Overall), no 3rd round selection (To Regina in MacAngus/Hulak transaction), Regina’s 4th round selection (MacAngus/Hulak transaction), Kelowna (David Schulz transaction) and Vancouver’s (Blaine Neufeld transaction) 5th round selections, no 6th round selection, Kamloops’ 7th round selection (Joel Eisenkirch transaction), their 8th round selection, their 9th round selection, their 10th round selection, their 11th round selection, their 12th round selection and Prince George’s 12th round selection (Kyle Klym transaction).

The Kelowna (David Schulz transation) pick was the one revolked by the WHL, but we should of still had the Vancouver pick in the 5th.

Here is the press release for the Neufeld transaction from www.saskatoonblades.com


Nov 29-Blades deal Neufeld to Giants, Add Zemlak to the roster

Saskatoon, SK: The Saskatoon Blades announced this morning that they have dealt 19-year-old goaltender Blaine Neufeld to the Vancouver Giants. In return the Bridge City Bunch receives a 5th round draft pick in this year’s upcoming WHL Bantam Draft from the Memorial Cup host Giants

[GBG BLEED BLUE]

Player Birthday Position Ht/Wt Hometown
1st Round(4th): Charles Inglis May 7, 1992 Centre 5’10, 163lbs,
Winnipeg, MB
2nd Round(27): Josh Nicholls April 27, 1992 Centre 6’0, 160lbs ,Delta, BC
3rd Round: No Pick(Traded to Regina)
4th Round(71): Braeden Johnson February 26, 1992 Right Wing, 5’9, 161lbs Saskatoon, SK
5th Round: **Pick Withdrawn By The WHL**
6th Round: No Pick(Traded to Medicine Hat)
7th Round(147): Brett Hebel March 15,1992 Left Wing 6’2, 170lbs, Warroad, MN
8th Round(159): Zane Morin May 11, 1992 Defence 5’10, 140lbs Meadow Lake, SK
9th Round(181): Jamie Crooks January 8, 1992 Left Wing 5’9, 160lbs Vermillion, AB
10th Round(204): Jesse Mychan July 2, 1992 Defence 6’1, 163lb Saskatoon, SK
11th Round(226): Brendan Wall 1990 Defence 6’0, 155lbs Saskatoon, SK
12th Round(248): Chris Sharkey June 6, 1992 Goalie 6'0, 165lbs Edmonton, AB
12th Round(252):Tim Beck January 9, 1992 Centre 5'10, 150lbs Oakbank, MB
13th Round:PASS
14th Round:PASS
15th Round:PASS

The Blades picked: 5 Forwards,3 Defencemen and 1 Goalie.

The Blades picked: 4 players from Saskatchewan,2 from Alberta,1 from Manitoba, 1 from British Columbia and 1 from the United States!!!!!!!!!

[Shortys]

Brett Hebel.... Interesting, we havn't had an american player for a while if I am not mistaken. Nice to see more and more Saskatchewan players on the list for us, it makes the team much better to watch and get into for me with more home province players! Should be a great camp to watch!

[Trav]

Minnesota high school hockey team and played against older players then him and didnt do to bad. If he comes, might be a good pickup by the Blades.

[nivek_wahs]

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/sports/story.html?id=602e3fdf-7879-4a33-8bf8-29197736fcfe

Blades' top choice all spit and grit

Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Friday, May 04, 2007
The future face of the Saskatoon Blades comes with a sneer.

The Blades picked Charles Inglis, a 5-foot-10 centre from Winnipeg, fourth overall in Thursday's Western Hockey League bantam draft.

"I'm determined and I'll do whatever it takes to win," Inglis said on the phone. "My grit comes from the fact that I hate losing. I can't stand it. I'm not a losing kind of person. Losing makes me angry."

That's music to the ears of Blades coach-general manager Lorne Molleken, who has placed a premium on competitiveness. He's been trying to put a surlier face on the franchise since returning to Saskatoon in 2004.

"To us, he's the total package," Molleken said of Inglis. "He skates, he hits and he can score. We're real pleased to have him on our side."

The Blades spent their first four picks on forwards. After Inglis, they selected centre Josh Nicholls from Delta, B.C., homegrown winger Braeden Johnson of the Saskatoon Maniacs and winger Brett Hebel from Warroad, Minn.

"Saskatoon is where I most wanted to go and I'm lucky to get to go there," said Inglis, who isn't eligible to play full-time in the WHL until the 2008-09 season.

Inglis led the host Winnipeg Sharks to a silver finish at the Western Canadian bantam championship last month. He earned MVP honours with 12 points in four games.

"He basically took his team on his shoulders and away he went," said Molleken. "People out there compare him to a Jarome Iginla or a Wendel Clark as a young guy. He's that type of player. He plays the game with an edge and he's a very difficult guy to play against."

Inglis collected 18 goals and 16 assists during 28 regular-season games with the Sharks. His competitive streak extends to academics where maintains an 84 per cent average -- including 98 in math.

Inglis's father, James, had a stint with the Blades in the early 1970s. Although James Inglis never saw game action, he was part of Jack McLeod's stable for a time and later played in Europe.

The Blades used their second-round pick, 27th overall, to select Nicholls. He helped an underdog South Delta team qualify for the B.C. bantam AAA championship.

"He's got great vision and a great compete level, plus he's one of the best skaters in the draft," said Molleken.

In 72 bantam games, Nicholls registered 123 points -- 51 goals -- plus 174 penalty minutes.

"I'm very excited because (the Blades) have a great young roster coming up in the next couple of years and a lot of good prospects," said Nicholls.

Through trades, the Blades have stockpiled a lucrative slate of draft picks. They'll select twice in both the first and second rounds next season.

"It's unbelievable to be part of this because they're building a great team," said Johnson, the Blades' fourth-round pick, 71st overall. "They started a few years back and in a few years, we'll have a fantastic team. Hopefully we have a good run."

Johnson described being drafted by his home team as "picture-perfect." The speedy winger intends to play midget with the Saskatoon Blazers next season.

The Blades picked two other local products: winger Jesse Mychan and defenceman Brendon Wall. Mychan played bodyguard and also showed a scoring touch with the Saskatoon Stallions.

"I like getting guys mad at me and rattling the other team," said Mychan, who learned the finer points of trash talking from his cousin, Blades assistant coach David Struch.

Wall, a 17-year-old defender, was originally drafted by the Everett Silvertips in 2005.

"We really liked him as a bantam player and he played extremely well in Beardy's this year," said Molleken.

cwolfe@sp.canwest.com

[wango tango]

Brett Hebel.... Interesting, we havn't had an american player for a while if I am not mistaken. Nice to see more and more Saskatchewan players on the list for us, it makes the team much better to watch and get into for me with more home province players! Should be a great camp to watch!

minnesotan aaron bader was the last u.s. player for the blades, hebel is from the same state don't know if there is anymore connection there or not.

texan ben van lare was also a recent blade, i think he played in the ushl this past season.