Malc
05-06-2011, 10:43 AM
After taking a pair of defencemen at the top of the WHL's annual Bantam Draft last year, the Rockets have opted for offence in 2011.
The Rockets grabbed highly skilled centre Rourke Chartier (5'7", 140lbs) from Saskatoon, SK with their first pick, 15th overall.
"We were very pleased to be able to pick Rourke," said Rockets Director of Player Personnel, Lorne Frey, as he is a 'dynamic little player.'
"He's highly skilled, highly competitive, a great skater and he competes: All the things that you want in a hockey player. He will certainly be a fan favourite in Kelowna," says Frey of Chartier.
"They have him at 5-foot-7 but we think he has a chance to get to 5-foot-10 and if he does that he's going to be unbelievable. He was too good of a player at this time to let go."
Frey says Chartier's style of play is something that really drew the attention of Rockets' scouts.
"He's exciting," said Frey. "He's the type of guy you pay to come to see. He has a great passion for the game. He can play all night long."
"He's excited and really pumped about being selected by Kelowna and we're looking forward to watching him develop."
Chartier led the Saskatoon Bantam Stallions in the top Saskatchewan bantam league last season.
Chartier is the cornerstone of a draft that saw Kelowna make ten selections, adding six forwards, three defenceman and a goalie.
"Overall we're pleased with the draft," said Frey. "Most of the forwards we took were similar in a lot of ways. They are good skaters with good skill level. Now we just have to see if they can develop and become good players down the road."
The rest of the Rockets 2011 draft class with a quote from the scouts that watched them.
• 2nd round (37th overall)
Austin Glover - Right Wing - Clavet, SK - 5'11", 150lbs
Scouts say: "He's got real good skill and is an excellent skater. He's a good honest two way hockey player."
• 3rd Round (51st overall - pick from Saskatoon (Gogol))
Riley Stadel - Defense - Surrey, BC - 5'10", 163lbs
Scouts say: "Excellent skater, highly skilled, very competitive. He's a mobile quick defenceman who competes and makes intelligent plays."
"I think he's going to be a guy who plays in (the WHL) for sure," said Cloverdale Colts' bantam A coach Brian MacGillivray. "To be totally honest, I thought he should've gone even higher (in the draft) than he did. He's a great player – a good kid, good leader."
3th round (59th overall) – Traded to Prince George (Jackson)
4th round (81st overall) – Traded to Tri City (Stebner)
• 5th round (90th overall - pick from Swift Current (Verdino))
Thomas Spence - Goalie - Moose Jaw, SK - 6'2", 165lbs
Scouts say: "He's a big guy, very fundamentally strong. Early in the year we thought he was one of the better goalies out there. His upside is huge."
• 5th round (102nd overall - pick from Moose Jaw (Grantham))
Ryan Donaldson - Right Wing - Langley, BC - 6'1", 145lbs
Scouts say: "A highly skilled forward, very good skater with good size. Another guy with pretty good upside."
• 5th round (103rd overall)
Justin Kirkland - Right Wing - Camrose, AB - 6'1", 145lbs
Scouts say: "He's a tall, lanky kid who's a very good skater and has very good puck skills."
• 6th round (125th overall)
David Dunn - Defense - Russell, MB - 6', 145lbs
Scouts say: "He's a nice skating mobile defenceman. Very intelligent. Moves the puck well and makes good decisions with the puck."
• 7th round (147th overall)
Gordon Wasteste - Forward - Fort Qu’Appelle, SK - 6'1", 168lbs
Scouts say: "Tall lanky player with good offensive skills and good hands. This pick was outside of the box. Down the road we think he can be a good forward."
• 7th Round (148th overall - pick from Tri City (Stebner))
Johnny Walker - Defense - Phoenix, AZ - 6', 164lbs
• 8th round (169th overall)
Lien Miller-Jeannotte - Forward - Fort St. John, BC - 6', 160lbs
Scouts say: "A lanky guy with good offensive ability. Showed well in the BC Cup. Another player with a good upside."
Frey says the club was impressed with his skating and puck handling abilities and believes there is a lot of potential if Miller-Jeannotte continues to develop.
http://www.kelownarockets.com/article/rockets-replenish-prospects-with-10-picks-in-whl-bantam-draft
Only three Okanagan born players were taken in the draft.
Logan Mick of Vernon was taken in the 6th round by Edmonton, defenceman Michael McEachern from West Kelowna was taken in the 7th round by Medicine Hat, while Josh Blanchard of Kelowna was taken by Portland in the 7th round.
http://www.castanet.net/news/Sports/61856/Rockets-find-offense-at-bantam-draft
The Rockets grabbed highly skilled centre Rourke Chartier (5'7", 140lbs) from Saskatoon, SK with their first pick, 15th overall.
"We were very pleased to be able to pick Rourke," said Rockets Director of Player Personnel, Lorne Frey, as he is a 'dynamic little player.'
"He's highly skilled, highly competitive, a great skater and he competes: All the things that you want in a hockey player. He will certainly be a fan favourite in Kelowna," says Frey of Chartier.
"They have him at 5-foot-7 but we think he has a chance to get to 5-foot-10 and if he does that he's going to be unbelievable. He was too good of a player at this time to let go."
Frey says Chartier's style of play is something that really drew the attention of Rockets' scouts.
"He's exciting," said Frey. "He's the type of guy you pay to come to see. He has a great passion for the game. He can play all night long."
"He's excited and really pumped about being selected by Kelowna and we're looking forward to watching him develop."
Chartier led the Saskatoon Bantam Stallions in the top Saskatchewan bantam league last season.
Chartier is the cornerstone of a draft that saw Kelowna make ten selections, adding six forwards, three defenceman and a goalie.
"Overall we're pleased with the draft," said Frey. "Most of the forwards we took were similar in a lot of ways. They are good skaters with good skill level. Now we just have to see if they can develop and become good players down the road."
The rest of the Rockets 2011 draft class with a quote from the scouts that watched them.
• 2nd round (37th overall)
Austin Glover - Right Wing - Clavet, SK - 5'11", 150lbs
Scouts say: "He's got real good skill and is an excellent skater. He's a good honest two way hockey player."
• 3rd Round (51st overall - pick from Saskatoon (Gogol))
Riley Stadel - Defense - Surrey, BC - 5'10", 163lbs
Scouts say: "Excellent skater, highly skilled, very competitive. He's a mobile quick defenceman who competes and makes intelligent plays."
"I think he's going to be a guy who plays in (the WHL) for sure," said Cloverdale Colts' bantam A coach Brian MacGillivray. "To be totally honest, I thought he should've gone even higher (in the draft) than he did. He's a great player – a good kid, good leader."
3th round (59th overall) – Traded to Prince George (Jackson)
4th round (81st overall) – Traded to Tri City (Stebner)
• 5th round (90th overall - pick from Swift Current (Verdino))
Thomas Spence - Goalie - Moose Jaw, SK - 6'2", 165lbs
Scouts say: "He's a big guy, very fundamentally strong. Early in the year we thought he was one of the better goalies out there. His upside is huge."
• 5th round (102nd overall - pick from Moose Jaw (Grantham))
Ryan Donaldson - Right Wing - Langley, BC - 6'1", 145lbs
Scouts say: "A highly skilled forward, very good skater with good size. Another guy with pretty good upside."
• 5th round (103rd overall)
Justin Kirkland - Right Wing - Camrose, AB - 6'1", 145lbs
Scouts say: "He's a tall, lanky kid who's a very good skater and has very good puck skills."
• 6th round (125th overall)
David Dunn - Defense - Russell, MB - 6', 145lbs
Scouts say: "He's a nice skating mobile defenceman. Very intelligent. Moves the puck well and makes good decisions with the puck."
• 7th round (147th overall)
Gordon Wasteste - Forward - Fort Qu’Appelle, SK - 6'1", 168lbs
Scouts say: "Tall lanky player with good offensive skills and good hands. This pick was outside of the box. Down the road we think he can be a good forward."
• 7th Round (148th overall - pick from Tri City (Stebner))
Johnny Walker - Defense - Phoenix, AZ - 6', 164lbs
• 8th round (169th overall)
Lien Miller-Jeannotte - Forward - Fort St. John, BC - 6', 160lbs
Scouts say: "A lanky guy with good offensive ability. Showed well in the BC Cup. Another player with a good upside."
Frey says the club was impressed with his skating and puck handling abilities and believes there is a lot of potential if Miller-Jeannotte continues to develop.
http://www.kelownarockets.com/article/rockets-replenish-prospects-with-10-picks-in-whl-bantam-draft
Only three Okanagan born players were taken in the draft.
Logan Mick of Vernon was taken in the 6th round by Edmonton, defenceman Michael McEachern from West Kelowna was taken in the 7th round by Medicine Hat, while Josh Blanchard of Kelowna was taken by Portland in the 7th round.
http://www.castanet.net/news/Sports/61856/Rockets-find-offense-at-bantam-draft