2010 Bantam Draft

[Stay-Puft]

Americans trade up with Vancouver to make their 1st round pick and they select Eric Comrie, G, from Edmonton, Alberta who plays for the L.A. Selects. Various postings state he is the brother of current NHL player Mike Comrie. Ams trade the #19 overall and a 2011 2nd round pick to move up to 13th.

[Malc]

Tri-City Americans general manager Bob Tory is known as a shrewd hockey administrator.

The two-time Western Hockey League executive of the year (2007, 2008) and a runner-up in the prestigious category on Wednesday wasted little time in making the first move of the WHL bantam draft.

The former Edmonton Ice GM traded up to 13th overall to select goaltender Eric Comrie, son of well-known Edmonton businessman Bill Comrie and half-brothers to current Edmonton Oiler Mike Comrie and former Oiler Paul Comrie.

"We felt he was the best goaltender available in the draft," said Tory, who swapped his 19th overall selection and a second-rounder in 2011 to the Vancouver Giants for the right to select the Edmonton-born, six-foot, 190-pound netminder, who now hails from Newport Beach, Calif.

"I've been very blessed having some quality goaltenders over my career and I know the importance to a franchise and its long-term growth."

"I felt if we were able to make a deal, we would. We have some extra picks next year. We paid a price to move up, but I've always felt that quality is more important than quantity at the draft," said Tory. "You want to get the best player you can."

The veteran GM feels he not only got a good player, but also believes the younger Comrie will indeed play in the WHL instead of taking the NCAA college route like Mike and Paul. Mike eventually left the University of Michigan to join Tory's WHL team in Cranbrook, B.C.

"I know the Comrie family because of the relationship I had with Mike in Kootenay (Ice). There's a process involved there," said Tory. "I spent a lot of time talking to Bill and Eric and we're as excited to get him as they are to get drafted. Eric's goal is to be an NHL goalie and to be a first-round NHL pick and our job is to help him reach that dream and get that accomplished.

"Our feelings are they will come. I'm comfortable with the fact that he will play with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. It's different being a goaltender here because of the number of games played in college, and if there are two goalies splitting 30 games, it's a lot different from our team, which will play 100 games this year.

"We firmly believe this is the best developmental league for goaltenders. I think my track record developing first-round NHL goaltenders like Blackburn, Price and Pickard plays into it, and the fact that Olie Kolzig, a Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender, is one of our (ownership) partners helps. There's a lot of positives that say there's a lot of sense for not only us, but Bill and Eric."

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sport...487/story.html

[Malc]

Team, Name, Pos, Hometown
Round 1
13. Tri-City (from Vancouver), Eric Comrie, G, Newport Beach, CA;
Round 3
63. Tri-City, Justin Spagrud, LW, Gull Lake, SK;
Round 4
85. Tri-City, Josh Wik, D, Swift Current, SK;
Round 7
148. Tri-City (from Portland for Joel Ridgeway), Austin Seaman, D, Calgary, AB;
151. Tri-City, Taeron Lewis, RW, Winnipeg, MB;
Round 8
173. Tri-City, Brian Williams, C, Claremont, CA;
Round 9
195. Tri-City, Ryer Sawchuk, D, Lethbridge, AB;
Round 10
217. Tri-City, Clint Filbrandt, D, Calgary, AB;
Round 11
239. Tri-City, Andrew Ogelvie, C, Fullerton, CA;
Round 12
261. Tri-City, Taylor Marr, C, Lethbridge, AB;