2007 Bantam Draft

[nivek_wahs]

http://www.mjwarriors.ca/warrior_news.php?f_action=news_detail&news_id=467


Tribe Makes Deal to Nab 1st Overall Selection

The Moose Jaw Warriors struck a deal early this morning in Calgary at the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft. The Warriors, who were sitting with a 5th overall selection traded with the Portland Winterhawks to obtain this year’s 1st round, 1st overall selection as well as t Portland’s 3rd round pick (46th overall).

Never in the history of the Moose Jaw Warriors has the franchise had the opportunity to select 1st overall. To acquire these two high picks from the Winterhawks, gave up their 5th place pick in the 1st round, a 2nd round pick (28th overall), a 5th round pick (105th overall) as well as listed 91 born forward who was selected in the 2006 WHL draft.


Moose Jaw
1st-1st overall
3rd-46th pick

To Portland:
1st-5th pick
2nd- 28th pick
5th-105th pick
(91) born forward

The WHL Bantam draft is being held live on the Western Hockey League’s website at www.whl.ca so be sure to tune in to se all the Warriors picks as they are selected. A complete listing of the Warriors Bantam Draft selections will be posted on the Warriors website following the completion of the draft.

For further information please contact:

Chad Lang
General Manager
Moose Jaw Warriors Hockey Club

[nivek_wahs]

http://www.mjwarriors.ca/feature_story.php?f_action=news_detail&news_id=469


Warriors Happy with 2007 Bantam Draft Selections

The 2007 WHL Bantam draft has come and gone and the Moose Jaw Warriors selected 1st overall for the first time in franchise history. The Warriors selected the 6’2, 170lb Quinton Howden of Oak Bank Manitoba. Howden put up very impressive numbers last season with the Springfield Ice Hawks with 121 goals and 76 assists for 197 points in 51 games. With their second pick, 41st overall, the Tribe opted for Calgary, AB native Nathan MacMaster. The 5’10, 150lb left winger also posted impressive numbers last season with 18 goals and 21 assists for 39 points in 34 games. The 3rd and 4th round saw the Tribe pick up 3 more defensemen by the names of Dylan McLirath of Winnipeg, MB, Kendall McFaull of Rosetown, SK, and Connor Cox of Lethbridge, AB.

The Warriors did not select in the 5th round as it was part of the agreement negotiated with the Portland Winterhawks to get this year’s 1st overall draft selection. The lone goalie selection came in the 6th round as Victoria, BC native Brandon Glover was selected by the Warriors. A Complete list of Moose Jaw’s 2007 Bantam Draft selections is listed below:

Round Overall Name DOB POS Hometown
1 1 Quinton Howden January 12, 1992 LW Oak Bank, MB
2 41 Nathan MacMaster June 30, 1992 LW Calgary, AB
3 46 Dylan McLirath April 20, 1992 D Winnipeg, MB
4 72 Kendall McFaull April 10, 1992 D Rosetown, SK
4 88 Connor Cox July 18,1992 D Lethbridge, AB
6 117 Brandon Glover August 21st, 1992 G Victoria, BC
7 138 Josh Bruha March 9, 1992 LW Cecil Lake, BC
7 141 Marty McFadden May 17, 1992 D Carman, MB
8 160 Zane Weal February 25, 1992 C Assiniboia, SK
9 179 Troy Gasper May 27, 1992 C Rosetown, SK
9 182 Nolan Marshall December 8, 1992 C Nacmine, AB



For more information concerning any of this year’s draft selections please contact:

Chad Lang
General Manager
Moose Jaw Warriors Hockey Club
694-5711 ext.25

[nivek_wahs]

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=d6ca28c0-3ebd-498a-8b4b-763debfae35d

Warriors make splash in draft

Greg Harder, Leader-Post
Published: Friday, May 04, 2007
The Portland Winter Hawks couldn't score with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 WHL bantam draft, so the Moose Jaw Warriors decided it was their turn to go on the offensive.

Moose Jaw opened Thursday's draft with a bang by acquiring the first overall pick from Portland, then using it on 15-year-old centre Quinton Howden of Oakbank, Man.

It's the first time in franchise history the Warriors have selected first overall.

"My reaction is I'm speechless," said Howden, who wasn't aware of Moose Jaw's interest until recently. "They phoned me the night before and told me they were looking to move up in the draft and trade with Portland. I didn't know if that was going to happen. Then about five minutes before the draft they called and said they got it. I pretty much just dropped. My legs started shaking, I was so excited."

Warriors GM Chad Lang was equally weak in the knees at the prospect of landing a player of Howden's calibre. The 6-foot-2, 170-pounder, who has been compared to Joe Thornton, recorded 121 goals and 76 assists in 51 games with the bantam AA Springfield Ice Hawks last season.

"We feel he's a franchise player," said Lang, whose blockbuster swap cost the Warriors their original first-round pick (fifth overall), along with a second-rounder (28th overall), a fifth-rounder (105th) and 16-year-old prospect Michael Burns. Moose Jaw also received the Hawks' third-rounder (46th overall).

The catalyst of the deal was Portland's inability to secure a commitment from centre Luke Moffatt of Phoenix, who ended up being selected second overall by the Kelowna Rockets. Portland used the fifth pick on Lethbridge-born power forward Brad Ross, the brother of Regina Pats defenceman Nick Ross.

"You know how the hockey world is, everyone seems to talk and speculate," Lang said of the Winter Hawks' dilemma. "The word was (Moffatt) still hadn't come to an agreement with Portland. At the end of the day it was a risk on their end to drop down four (spots) and still try to get the guy they ended up getting. At the end of the day it worked out well for both clubs."

Lang feels the Warriors didn't just add a marquee player, they also made a statement.

"It's my role to try to go after and recruit the top players available in the draft," he said. "As a small market team we have obstacles to overcome. But the decision we made today goes to show we're committed to our program and we're committed to providing quality players for our fans in Moose Jaw. I think it also sends a message to the league that we're willing to take those risks or we're willing to step up and make a commitment to a high-end guy."

Howden is prepared to make a commitment of his own.

"I'm all for it," he said of going to Moose Jaw "I've got lots of family in Regina too. It's all my dad's brothers and sisters. It's just a 45-minute drive."

The Warriors certainly went the extra mile to land Howden.

"We didn't feel he would be there for us (at No. 5)," added Lang, who was determined to land an elite forward. "There were some lengthy conversations (with Portland). It went late into the morning and then it was off the table. Fortunately for us we were able to get it back on the table early this morning and finalize it about an hour before the draft."

The Warriors didn't sign Howden prior to the draft, but Lang talked as if getting his signature on a contract is a formality.

"We've had discussions," said the Warriors' GM. "Everything is positive. We didn't have the time to formally get a contract out and get the paperwork done but we'll get that done early next week."




© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007

[nivek_wahs]

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/sports/story.html?id=1ad6f89f-6510-4cb7-a0f3-62e9414a0fc3

Warriors make deal, land No. 1 pick

Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Friday, May 04, 2007
The Portland Winter Hawks weren't in a gambling mood.

Unable to secure a commitment from highly-touted Phoenix forward Luke Moffatt, the Winter Hawks traded the first overall pick in Thursday's Western Hockey League bantam draft.

The Moose Jaw Warriors used the top pick to select 6-foot-2 forward Quinton Howden from Oakbank, Man. The Kelowna Rockets nabbed Moffatt with the No. 2 pick.

"Portland wanted him signed, sealed and delivered and we just couldn't make that commitment right now," Moffatt's father, Kenny, told Warren Henderson of the Kelowna Capital News. "These are big decisions to make and Kelowna is giving us some time. We're happy with the way this worked out."

Luke Moffatt holds both Canadian and U.S. citizenship. His father is from Coquitlam, B.C.

"I'm excited to be going to Kelowna," said Moffatt, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound centre. "I know it's a great organization and they've had a lot of success."

With the third pick, the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings made defenceman Mark Pysyk their first-ever bantam choice. The Saskatoon Blades followed in fourth spot and selected Winnipeg centre Charles Inglis.

The Winter Hawks dropped back to fifth spot and picked Lethbridge centre Brad Ross. Portland sent the first overall pick plus a third-round selection to Moose Jaw. In return, the Hawks received the fifth overall pick, plus Moose Jaw's second- and fifth-round picks and 16-year-old winger Michael Burns.

Forward Christian Magnus was the first Saskatoon player picked, going ninth overall to the Swift Current Broncos. Overall, WHL teams drafted a record 17 Saskatoon players. The previous high was 13, which happened three straight years from 2003 through 2005.

cwolfe@sp.canwest.com




© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007

[nivek_wahs]

http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=27332&sc=9


Last updated at 8:54 AM on 04/05/07
Blockbuster deal lands Tribe top pick

RANDY PALMER
The Moose Jaw Times Herald

Draft day deals don’t come much bigger than the one the Moose Jaw Warriors and Portland Winterhawks pulled off Thursday morning — and because of it, the Warriors have landed what many believe to be one of the top offensive prospects in Western Canada.
Moments before the Western Hockey League’s Bantam Draft was set to begin Thursday morning, Warriors general manager Chad Lang swung a deal that brought the Tribe the number one overall selection from Portland in exchange for a trio of picks — including the Warriors’ fifth overall selection — along with 2006 third rounder Michael Burns.
The Warriors then used the top pick to select Oakbank, Man.’s Quinton Howden, who scored 121 goals and 197 points with the Bantam AA Springfield Ice Hawks this past season.
It’s as big a deal as they come, and one Lang was more than happy to make.
“At the end of the day we set ourselves up in a pretty good situation, with the number of trades we made this year and the picks we acquired, that gave us the flexibility to make a deal like this,” Lang said Thursday afternoon.
“We made a significant decision, but at the same time we didn’t put ourselves in jeopardy in the draft. We have five picks in the first four rounds, so we like how everything shaped up.”
Portland had been expected to use their first round pick on standout forward Luke Moffat from Phoenix, and while Lang gave consideration to choosing the highly-touted prospect, in the end he felt Howden was a much better fit.
“We looked at both kids and we came to the conclusion that this kid is a quality individual, he has tremendous parents and family support and was really excited about the opportunity to play in Moose Jaw,” Lang explained. “I think you can’t downplay those aspects when you’re taking a player like that.
“In general there was a lot of hype on (Moffat), and just talking to the family they said Moose Jaw would be a consideration. But when it’s all said and done, we feel we got the guy we wanted from day one, and from an organizational point of view we’re extremely happy.”
To say Howden himself was happy to be chosen first overall would be a bit of an understatement.
“My reaction is I’m speechless,” Howden told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “They phoned me the night before and told me they were looking to move up in the draft and trade with Portland. I didn’t know if that was going to happen. Then about five minutes before the draft they called and said they got it. I pretty much just dropped. My legs started shaking, I was so excited.”
Lang’s enthusiasm for Howden stems from firsthand experience with the six-foot-two, 170 pounder, as he had a chance to see him take the ice on a scouting trip earlier this season.
“He’s a big kid, he has great offensive ability, especially to be able to put up those kinds of numbers in Bantam is pretty remarkable,” Lang said. “He skates well and has great vision and one of his greatest assets is that he’s not a selfish player. He scores a lot of goals but he works to make his teammates better at the same time.
“This kid has significant upside and if he continues to develop as an individual and a player, he’s going to have a bright future.”
The first overall selection was the first in Warriors history. Their highest pick previously came in 1994 when they chose Chad Hinz, who would go on to lead the team in scoring in back to back seasons.

[Warrior Fan]

not 1 warrior fan tinks anything about getting #1 overall.....wow

Most of the posts take place at the Warrior forum.

I can't believe it happened. I think the deal is a great one. I truely believe there is a huge difference between Ross and Howden. I am happy with the deal and happy with our draft overall. I have read all the articles. I just haven't really bothered to post much if at all.

[Warriorfanatic]

Number 1 draft pick is a good thing. nhl Just because no one has posted a comment does not mean we are not interested in our team. You need to experience the Warrior passion. I have been to a lot of arenas and yes our crushed can is one of the ancient wonders of the world, but there is no where, and I mean no where were you will find a louder place to play in. We just don't know this kid, hard to make up my mind with out seeing this fella play. Lot's of kids come in to the 'Dub' with praise and then stink the joint out. Time will tell.