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Tipped Off
05-01-2006, 09:40 AM
Chiefs Select First Overall Thursday, May 4th

Western Hockey League (WHL) Spokane Chiefs

For the first time in franchise history, the Spokane Chiefs will make the first overall selection in the WHL Bantam Draft when they step to the podium on Thursday, May 4th in Calgary, Alberta. In its 16 years, Spokane has selected as high as third overall twice and fourth overall once, including last year when they selected California native Mitch Wahl.

Over the past 10 years, the first overall selection in the WHL draft has been picked by an NHL team in the first round five times, second round twice and eighth round once. The last three first overall selections have not been eligible to be selected by NHL teams. The last two years, defensemen have been taken first overall making it five out of the last 10 and seven total times that blueliners have been taken with the top pick. A goaltender has never been picked first overall as Dan Blackburn, third in 1998 by Kootenay, is the highest net-minder to be selected.

The Bantam Draft will begin at 7:30 Spokane time on Thursday morning.

Past 15 first overall selections.

2005 Colten Teubert D Regina Eligible 2008

Teubert received invaluable experience this season after his BC Major Midget team failed to qualify for the post-season by playing 14 regular season games and six playoff games for the Regina Pats. The 6'4", 180 pound blueliner was +4 and had three assists in 20 combined games for the Pats. Teubert led the Southwest Vancouver Hawks in assists, points and penalty minutes in 29 games this season (8-12-20, 122 PIM). Teubert will be eligible to play full-time in the WHL next year as a 16-year-old and will be eligible for the 2008 NHL Draft.

2004 Ryan Kerr D Prince George Eligible 2007

In his rookie season in the WHL, Kerr was traded from Prince George to Lethbridge in a four player deal in late November, 2005. In 57 combined games with the Cougars and Hurricanes, Kerr scored six goals and 12 points and recorded 48 penalty minutes. The 6'1", 205 defenseman scored two goals and four points in six games for Team Pacific at the Under 17 World Hockey Challenge in January. Kerr will be eligible for the 2007 NHL Draft.

2003 Jonathan Toews C Tri-City Eligible 2006

One of the top ranked players for this summer's NHL Entry Draft, Toews helped Team Canada win a gold medal at the 2006 World Junior Hockey Championships as the youngest player and only 17-year-old on the team. Toews played this past season at the Univeristy of North Dakota, scoring 21 goals and 38 points in 41 games as a freshman. The Central Scouting Bureau has Toews ranked third for North American skaters.

2002 Gilbert Brule C Vancouver Columbus, 1st round (6th overall), 2005

After being selected sixth overall in last summer's draft, Brule began the season in the NHL with the Blue Jackets and appeared in seven games and scored two goals and four points. The North Vancouver, BC native was returned to the Giants after recovering from a leg injury in January and scored 23 goals and 38 points in 27 regular season games. Brule has led the Giants to the WHL Finals with a league high 11 goals and 18 points in 14 playoff games.

2001 Kyle Chipchura C Prince Albert Montreal, 1st (18th), 2004

Chipchura is another gold medal winner with Team Canada at the 2006 World Junior Hockey Championships with Team Canada scoring four goals and five points in the tournament. In 2004, Chipchura was selected by the Montreal Canadiens with the 18th overall selection. The power forward set career highs this past season, his 19-year-old year in the WHL, with 21 goals and 55 points. Following the season, Chipchura was called up by the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Canadien's AHL affiliate, and scored one goal and three points in eight games. In 214 career games, Chipchura has scored 59 goals, 106 assists, and 165 points and recorded 320 penalty minutes.

2000 Braydon Coburn D Portland Atlanta, 1st (8th), 2003

Coburn's impact in Portland was immediate when he appeared in 14 playoff games in the Winter Hawk's run to the Western Conference Championship in 2000-01. The Calgary, Alberta native would use that season to jump start a career that included 238 career games, 29 goals, 102 assists, and 131 points. Coburn was selected in the first round, eighth overall, by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2003 and saw his first NHL action this season with nine games. In 73 games with the Chicago Wolves, the Thrasher's AHL affiliate, Coburn played 73 games and scored six goals and had 136 penalty minutes. Coburn also won a gold medal at the 2005 World Junior Hockey Championships.

1999 Ryan Hollweg C Medicine Hat NY Rangers, 8th (238th), 2002

Despite being drafted the lowest for any former first overall WHL pick, Hollweg has spent a majority of this season, his second professional, in the NHL. Hollweg appeared in 52 games this year for the New York Rangers and was second on the team with 126 hits and third on the club 84 penalty minutes. In 2003-04, his fifth and final in the WHL, Hollweg helped lead Medicine Hat to the league title with 57 points in 52 regular season games and 15 points in 20 playoff games. Hollweg played in 233 games in Medicine Hat and scored 94 goals, 139 assists and 233 points while posting 478 penalty minutes.

1998 Jay Bouwmeester D Medicine Hat Florida, 1st (3rd) 2001

The first of two back-to-back first overall selections for Medicine Hat, Bouwmeester played three full seasons with the Tigers before joining the Florida Panthers as a 19-year-old in 2002-03. As a rookie in the NHL, Bouwmeester played in all 82 games and was named to the post-season All Rookie Team. With 82 games this past season, Bouwmeester has appeared in 225 career NHL games. In his WHL career, the Edmonton, AB native played in 194 games, scored 30 goals, 11 assists and 141 points. As a World Junior, Bouwmeester won a silver and two bronze and became the youngest member ever of Team Canada in 2000.

1997 Jarret Stoll C Edmonton Edmonton, 2nd (36th), 2002

As a 19-year-old captain of the Kootenay Ice, Stoll won the Memorial Cup just five months after captaining Team Canada to the Gold Medal at the 2002. Stoll was drafted twice by NHL teams as Calgary selected the Melville, Saskatchewan native in the second round of 2000. After failing to come to terms with the Flames, the Oilers nabbed Stoll in 2002 after he scored 66 points in just 42 regular season games. As an 18-year-old, Stoll finished fourth in the WHL in scoring with 40 goals and 106 points. This season, Stoll played in all 82 games for Edmonton, scoring 68 points. Stoll scored an overtime winner versus Detroit in game three of their first round series this year.

1996 Steve McCarthy D Edmonton Chicago, 1st (23rd), 1999

McCarthy became the first first-overall selection to be selected in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft when the Chicago Blackhawks took the Trail, BC native with the 23rd overall pick. McCarthy's junior career with the Edmonton/Kootenay Ice included 154 games, 43 goals, 85 assists and 128 points in three full seasons. In what proved to be his final season in junior, 1999-2000, McCarthy suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of the playoffs, including a the WHL Finals versus Spokane and the ensuing Memorial Cup. The first three seasons of his professional career was spent between Norfolk (the Blackhawks AHL affiliate) and Chicago. In the pre-season this past year, McCarthy was sent from Chicago to Vancouver and then from the Canucks to Atlanta at the trade deadline. McCarthy has played in over 200 career NHL games.

1995 Chris Nielsen C Calgary NY Islanders, 2nd (36th), 1998

Nielsen was one of the key members of a Calgary team that won the WHL Championship in the 1999 season, a year after he was selected by the Islanders in the second round of the NHL Draft. Nielsen played 268 career games, scored 93 goals, 103 assists and 196 points. In addition to his regular season career, Nielsen played in 52 playoff games, scored 27 goals and 45 points. In his six year professional career, Nielsen has played parts of two seasons in the NHL, both with the Columbus Blue Jackets, including a career high 29 games in 2000-01.

1994 Jarret Smith C Prince George NY Islanders, 3rd (59th), 1997

In five full WHL seasons, Smith appeared in 249 games with Prince George and Prince Albert. Prior to his 20-year-old season, Smith was traded from the Cougars to the Raiders where he posted a career high 27 goals and 59 points in all 72 regular season games. In total, Smith scored 81 goals, 113 assists and 194 points with 192 career penalty minutes. In three professional seasons, Smith played 116 games with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and 18 in the East Coast Hockey League.


1993 Martin Hohenberger LW Victoria Montreal, 3rd (74th), 1995

In four seasons in the WHL with the Victoria/Prince George organization and Lethbridge Hurricanes, Hohenberger played 222 career games and scored 141 points. Since his junior days, Hohenberger has played nine professional seasons, mainly in Eurpope. Montreal picked the forward 74th overall in 1995.

1992 Mike McBain D Red Deer Tampa Bay, 2nd (30th), 1995

McBain spent his entire four year career in the WHL with Red Deer, playing in 253 career games, scoring 142 points, including 110 assists. In 1995, the Tampa Bay Lightning made him their second round selection and McBain played in 64 career NHL games. For the last three years, McBain has played for the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL.

1991 Adam Smith D Tacoma NY Rangers, 3rd (78th), 1994

Selected first overall by Tacoma in 1991, Smith played four full seasons for the Rockets organization, including one in Kelowna. Smith appeared in 269 career WHL games before moving onto professional hockey. Smith last played in 2002-03 overseas. In 1994, Smith was selected in the 3rd round by the New York Rangers.

Jimmypop316
05-02-2006, 12:16 AM
Take Cowan.

Let him threaten with the NCAA route. Last time I checked Spokane was a helluva lot closer than any NCAA colleges he could play for. This whole situation is ridiculus.

SectionNDeserter
05-02-2006, 06:29 AM
Let him threaten with the NCAA route. Last time I checked Spokane was a helluva lot closer than any NCAA colleges he could play for. This whole situation is ridiculus.Actually I am pretty sure that North and South Dakota State University and University of Montana, are all a little closer to Saskatoon than Spokane. If they are thinking of eventually turning pro however, I think that the 15-20 games per season they play in college hockey isn't going to properly prepare them for it (or at least they are going to have a harder time).

chiefgongshow
05-02-2006, 12:35 PM
Actually I am pretty sure that North and South Dakota State University and University of Montana, are all a little closer to Saskatoon than Spokane. If they are thinking of eventually turning pro however, I think that the 15-20 games per season they play in college hockey isn't going to properly prepare them for it (or at least they are going to have a harder time).
If he goes the college route like threatened Michigan is where hed be going. Ive actually heard he would report if Spokane picks him. I wouldnt mind Speltz trading down and picking up a player like Carter Ashton especially if theres a cooked deal with Colin Bowman in the books for the 2nd round.

Jimmypop316
05-02-2006, 02:32 PM
If he goes the college route like threatened Michigan is where hed be going. Ive actually heard he would report if Spokane picks him. I wouldnt mind Speltz trading down and picking up a player like Carter Ashton especially if theres a cooked deal with Colin Bowman in the books for the 2nd round.


yea.. its kind of karma for us I guess. Regardless, I think we draft him and use him as trade bait or whatever. He is hands down the best player in the draft, and we've got the best pick, so what the hell?

Dwight Schrute
05-02-2006, 06:42 PM
think spoke would be interested in tradeing down to #4 (the raiders pick)
i wonder what it would cost to move up the 3 picks ?

SectionNDeserter
05-02-2006, 07:32 PM
He is hands down the best player in the draft, and we've got the best pick, so what the hell?That is arguable, but we will have to take the scouts word on this one. With his size and supposed skill, his stats don't reflect either offensive or defensive dominance in his league, or even his team. I really don't think any team could go wrong with any of the current top 5 ranked players.