Flathead
05-02-2005, 01:08 PM
: Bortis proves them wrong!
Posted Monday, July 05, 2004
By the www.hockeyscouting.ca staff
A lot of eye brows were raised one year ago when the Swift Current Broncos used their first round draft pick on Kyle Bortis, a bit of a relative unknown in the hockey scouting community.
"I did not really see the kid play over the course of the year," said one scout of the 15 year old who was injured for a good portion of the 2002/2003 season, "but when he was picked at the 16th overall spot it sure shocked us."
Bortis missed a large part of last season, which resulted in his stock dipping at the WHL Bantam Draft.
Fast forward ten months after the draft and selection of Kyle Bortis at the number 16 overall slot looks a lot smarter.
"I guess you can not argue with the fact that he sits 6th in league scoring right now," says one scout of Bortis, who has recorded 30 points in 22 games so far this season.
Bortis has clearly been a bit of a surprise, according to the scouts.
"He looks like he is going to be a legitimate scorer at the Western Hockey League level," says one scout, "some teams may be kicking themselves in the foot for not taking him a lot higher on draft day."
At the start of the season when Hockey Scouting rated the best 1988's in all of Western Canada, we stated the jury was out on Bortis. That though, is no longer the case.
"The kid has a very soft set of hands around the net," says one scout, "I think that he will be a very good scorer at the WHL level of play one day."
Posted Monday, July 05, 2004
By the www.hockeyscouting.ca staff
A lot of eye brows were raised one year ago when the Swift Current Broncos used their first round draft pick on Kyle Bortis, a bit of a relative unknown in the hockey scouting community.
"I did not really see the kid play over the course of the year," said one scout of the 15 year old who was injured for a good portion of the 2002/2003 season, "but when he was picked at the 16th overall spot it sure shocked us."
Bortis missed a large part of last season, which resulted in his stock dipping at the WHL Bantam Draft.
Fast forward ten months after the draft and selection of Kyle Bortis at the number 16 overall slot looks a lot smarter.
"I guess you can not argue with the fact that he sits 6th in league scoring right now," says one scout of Bortis, who has recorded 30 points in 22 games so far this season.
Bortis has clearly been a bit of a surprise, according to the scouts.
"He looks like he is going to be a legitimate scorer at the Western Hockey League level," says one scout, "some teams may be kicking themselves in the foot for not taking him a lot higher on draft day."
At the start of the season when Hockey Scouting rated the best 1988's in all of Western Canada, we stated the jury was out on Bortis. That though, is no longer the case.
"The kid has a very soft set of hands around the net," says one scout, "I think that he will be a very good scorer at the WHL level of play one day."