nivek_wahs
05-04-2007, 09:26 AM
http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/article_6799.php
Hurricanes follow theme
By Trevor Kenney
May 4, 2007, 16:37
There was a theme to the Lethbridge Hurricanes’ draft plan Thursday and it centred around winning.
General manager Roy Stasiuk believes in culling talent from winning programs so it was no surprise that selections continued to come out of Burnaby Winter Club, Spruce Grove and right here in Lethbridge with the Val Matteotti Golden Hawks. In fact their two first-round picks, Alex Theriau and Mark Reners, hail from Burnaby and the Golden Hawks respectively.
“It certainly was a conscious effort to look at those players and make sure we got as many of them into our program,” Stasiuk told the Herald, on his way back from Calgary and Thursday’s annual Western Hockey League bantam draft.
Theriau is one of those winners as the Cowichan Valley, B.C. native anchored the Burnaby Winter Club’s blueline as they won the Western Canadian Bantam Championship. Listed at six-foot-one and 175 pounds, one scout described the prospect as a smaller version of Chris Pronger, excelling at every aspect of the game.
“He’s got a good skill package, he’s got good size, he’s very mobile and I think he reads the ice very well,” Stasiuk said. “This is a guy that has a large wing span, he gets the stick out and he makes it tough for people to play against him, especially in the defensive zone.”
Reached at home, the 15-year-old said he was thrilled to be coming to Lethbridge.
“It gets a lot off your chest to know you’re going somewhere you’re wanted and where you know you’re going to be happy,” Theriau, who scored 45 points in 65 games, said.
“It was awesome to be respected as a player to go that high.”
He describes himself as a good skater and ice reader who excels on special teams play. He also understands where Stasiuk is coming from when he focuses on players with winning backgrounds.
“The biggest thing from BWC is everybody wants to achieve greatness, everybody wants to be the best they can and I think that’s a very positive attitude.”
The ’Canes feel they lucked out at 18, getting Pincher Creek native Reners. Touted by some scouts as a top-10 selection, he slid down the board and Lethbridge jumped at their opportunity.
“It pleasantly surprised us . . . when he was there at 18 I’ve got to tell you, we were the happiest people in the building,” said Stasiuk of the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League record 61-goal scorer.
“His goal-scoring touch, he may be the purest goal scorer in the draft and that’s probably the toughest thing to find.”
After having no picks in the second round, the ’Canes went back to Burnaby Winter Club for the 50th overall pick, goaltender Brandon Anderson. Stasiuk channeled University of Alberta icon Clare Drake for wisdom on that pick.
“He indicated always look for the guy with a track record in the big games. Don’t necessarily watch a goaltender in-season and Brandon certainly has a great record of success in those games.”
Three picks later, Lethbridge grabbed Spruce Grove forward Brent Martin. The Timberwolves beat the Hawks to win the Alberta provincial title and placed third at Westerns but Martin had question marks surrounding him with regards to him reporting to play in the league.
“I would be surprised if there was a team that didn’t have him rated in the first round,” Stasiuk said, noting Martin indicated he’d wait to see where he was chosen before making a decision on reporting.
“Yes there is some concern but at some point, aptitude and attitude kind of fell in line there and he certainly warrants a high first-round pick. So we thought we’d step out and if we get the player we think we’re going to get, it becomes a home run.”
In all the Hurricanes made 12 draft picks, including seven forwards, four defencemen and one goaltender.
“I think as a whole, our defence grouping, if you look at them they’re all big kids, six-foot-two, six-foot-three, they’re fairly mobile, they bring some grit, so we’re really happy with that defence grouping,” Stasiuk said.
“Up front we may not have the skill that we drafted last year but I think we added some tenaciousness in players like Neal Tarnasky (former Hurricane Nick Tarnasky’s younger brother), Chris Romanchuk, who can put up some points as well and then (Brandon) Broissot from the California Wave program, a real good player who again we took a bit of a chance on but he indicates he will come.”
© Copyright by Lethbridge Herald.com
Hurricanes follow theme
By Trevor Kenney
May 4, 2007, 16:37
There was a theme to the Lethbridge Hurricanes’ draft plan Thursday and it centred around winning.
General manager Roy Stasiuk believes in culling talent from winning programs so it was no surprise that selections continued to come out of Burnaby Winter Club, Spruce Grove and right here in Lethbridge with the Val Matteotti Golden Hawks. In fact their two first-round picks, Alex Theriau and Mark Reners, hail from Burnaby and the Golden Hawks respectively.
“It certainly was a conscious effort to look at those players and make sure we got as many of them into our program,” Stasiuk told the Herald, on his way back from Calgary and Thursday’s annual Western Hockey League bantam draft.
Theriau is one of those winners as the Cowichan Valley, B.C. native anchored the Burnaby Winter Club’s blueline as they won the Western Canadian Bantam Championship. Listed at six-foot-one and 175 pounds, one scout described the prospect as a smaller version of Chris Pronger, excelling at every aspect of the game.
“He’s got a good skill package, he’s got good size, he’s very mobile and I think he reads the ice very well,” Stasiuk said. “This is a guy that has a large wing span, he gets the stick out and he makes it tough for people to play against him, especially in the defensive zone.”
Reached at home, the 15-year-old said he was thrilled to be coming to Lethbridge.
“It gets a lot off your chest to know you’re going somewhere you’re wanted and where you know you’re going to be happy,” Theriau, who scored 45 points in 65 games, said.
“It was awesome to be respected as a player to go that high.”
He describes himself as a good skater and ice reader who excels on special teams play. He also understands where Stasiuk is coming from when he focuses on players with winning backgrounds.
“The biggest thing from BWC is everybody wants to achieve greatness, everybody wants to be the best they can and I think that’s a very positive attitude.”
The ’Canes feel they lucked out at 18, getting Pincher Creek native Reners. Touted by some scouts as a top-10 selection, he slid down the board and Lethbridge jumped at their opportunity.
“It pleasantly surprised us . . . when he was there at 18 I’ve got to tell you, we were the happiest people in the building,” said Stasiuk of the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League record 61-goal scorer.
“His goal-scoring touch, he may be the purest goal scorer in the draft and that’s probably the toughest thing to find.”
After having no picks in the second round, the ’Canes went back to Burnaby Winter Club for the 50th overall pick, goaltender Brandon Anderson. Stasiuk channeled University of Alberta icon Clare Drake for wisdom on that pick.
“He indicated always look for the guy with a track record in the big games. Don’t necessarily watch a goaltender in-season and Brandon certainly has a great record of success in those games.”
Three picks later, Lethbridge grabbed Spruce Grove forward Brent Martin. The Timberwolves beat the Hawks to win the Alberta provincial title and placed third at Westerns but Martin had question marks surrounding him with regards to him reporting to play in the league.
“I would be surprised if there was a team that didn’t have him rated in the first round,” Stasiuk said, noting Martin indicated he’d wait to see where he was chosen before making a decision on reporting.
“Yes there is some concern but at some point, aptitude and attitude kind of fell in line there and he certainly warrants a high first-round pick. So we thought we’d step out and if we get the player we think we’re going to get, it becomes a home run.”
In all the Hurricanes made 12 draft picks, including seven forwards, four defencemen and one goaltender.
“I think as a whole, our defence grouping, if you look at them they’re all big kids, six-foot-two, six-foot-three, they’re fairly mobile, they bring some grit, so we’re really happy with that defence grouping,” Stasiuk said.
“Up front we may not have the skill that we drafted last year but I think we added some tenaciousness in players like Neal Tarnasky (former Hurricane Nick Tarnasky’s younger brother), Chris Romanchuk, who can put up some points as well and then (Brandon) Broissot from the California Wave program, a real good player who again we took a bit of a chance on but he indicates he will come.”
© Copyright by Lethbridge Herald.com