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Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs Select 10 In Bantam Draft

April 29, 2010 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


The Spokane Chiefs selected 10 players through nine rounds in the 21st edition of the WHL Bantam Draft. Spokane took four defensemen, including Tyler King-Cunningham with the 17th overall selection, five forwards and one goaltender. The bantam draft is the first opportunity for WHL teams to add 1995 born players to their 50 player protected list.

"We're real happy," Chiefs Director of Player Personnel Christ Moulton said. "I think we drafted a well balanced group of skill, size and character. Our scouts did a great job."

King-Cunningham scored 14 goals and 43 points in 25 games for the Notre Dame Bantam team in Saskatchewan last year. He added another five goals and 13 points in seven playoff games. King-Cunningham is 6'0", 175 pounds and hails from Pilot Butte, Saskatchewan.

"He is a good sized kid that shows poise and character," Moulton said. "He's a good skater who is steady and responsible. He's not afraid to jump up offensively and is very good in all three zones. He plays with confidence.

"We had Tyler rated higher than we selected him and we were excited to see him at 17. There were a lot of good players taken in the first round and we got someone who we are very comfortable with and happy to have in our organization," Moulton finished.

King-Cunningham is the second defenseman in as many years and third in the last five to be taken with the Chiefs first round pick. Jared Cowen was selected first overall in 2006 and Reid Gow was taken 16th overall last year.

Spokane selected forward Riley Whittingham, a 6'0" right wing, with their third round selection. Whittingham led his Calgary Northstars in scoring and finished 11th in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League with 32 goals and 60 points in 33 games.

"Riley has good hands, gets involved physically and is a big powerful forward," Moulton said. "He has a real hard, accurate shot."

The Chiefs did not have a second round pick, traded to Medicine Hat in 2008 as a part of the deal that brought defenseman Trevor Glass to Spokane.

In the fourth round, the Chiefs took left wing Nakeh Lamothe a 6'0" forward from Edmonton. Lamothe finished tied for second on the Edmonton SSAC Bantam team with 19 goals and 43 points in 31 games. He also led the team with 73 penalty minutes.

"Nakeh has skill but also plays with some bite.

"We like the fact that both Riley and Nakeh combine size and skill"

Brett Lewchuck, a goaltender with the Saskatoon Frostbite, was Spokane's fifth round pick. Lewchuck recently earned 2nd Team All-Star honors with the Frostbite at the Western Canadian Bantam Championships after leading Saskatoon to a Provincial title.

"Brett is a real competitor who battles for pucks and is technically sound," Moulton said.

With their first of three picks in the sixth round Spokane took Bo Pellah, a 5'10" defenseman from Burnaby, BC. Pellah had three goals and four points in four games with the Burnaby Winter Club at the Western Canadian Bantam Hockey Championships.

"Bo is a smooth skating, smart defenseman who keeps his game simple and will make a lot of plays," Moulton said.

Tyson Predinchuk, a 6'2" forward, was selected with the very next pick. Predinchuk led the Regina Hurricanes of the South Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League in scoring with 33 goals and 62 points in 25 games.

"Tyson has all the abilities of skill, size and strength and has a huge upside."

Two picks later, 129th overall, the Chiefs nabbed defenseman Jeremy McIntosh, a 6'1" Calgary native. McIntosh had three goals and 13 points in 33 games with the Calgary Bronks of the AMBHL.

"Jeremy has the ability to skate himself out of trouble and make plays. He is a good sized kid who will play hard and also get involved physically."

In the seventh round, Spokane selected Cade Owad from Calgary, a teammate for Whittingham with the Northstars. Owad, a 5'10" forward, scored 11 goals and 33 points in 33 regular season games.

"Cade is a tenacious puck hound who is known for his character and tenacity. His energy will create opportunities."

Jason Fram, a 5'11" defenseman from South Delta, BC was Spokane's eighth round pick, 171st overall. In 65 games with South Delta he had 12 goals, 34 points and was +25.

"Jason sees the ice real well and makes plays from the blueline," Moulton said.

The Chiefs selected 5'9" forward Jakub Romo, "an effective forward who will take the puck to the net and sees the ice very well," in the ninth round. Romo hails from Fullerton, California and played this last year with the California Stars Midget AAA club.

ROUND - 1 (17th overall)

Tyler King-Cunningham

POS - D

HT - 6'0" WT - 174

DOB - 2/18/95

HOMETOWN - Pilot Butte, SK

LAST YEAR - Notre Dame (SSBHL)

ROUND - 3 (58TH overall)

Riley Whittingham

POS - RW

HT - 6'0" WT - 165

DOB - 5/1/95

HOMETOWN - Calgary, AB

LAST YEAR - Calgary Northstars (AMBHL)

ROUND - 4 (83rd overall)

Nakeh Lamothe

POS - LW

HT - 6'0" WT - 160

DOB - 2/26/95

HOMETOWN - Edmonton, AB

LAST YEAR - Edmonton SSAC (AMBHL)

ROUND - 5 (105TH overall)

Brett Lewchuk

POS -G

HT - 5'10" WT - 140

DOB - 1/6/95

HOMETOWN - Saskatoon, SK

LAST YEAR - Saskatoon Frostbite

ROUND - 6 (126TH overall)

Bo Pellah

POS -D

HT - 5'10" WT - 140

DOB - 5/25/95

HOMETOWN - Burnaby, BC

LAST YEAR - Burnaby Winter Club

ROUND - 6 (126TH overall)

Tyson Predinchuk

POS -F

HT - 6'2" WT - 160

DOB - 6/1/95

HOMETOWN - Regina, SK

LAST YEAR - Regina Hurricanes

ROUND - 6 (129TH overall)

Jeremy McInthosh

POS -D

HT - 6'1" WT - 160

DOB - 3/19/95

HOMETOWN - Calgary, AB

LAST YEAR - Calgary Bronks

ROUND - 7 (149TH overall)

Cade Owad

POS -F

HT - 5'10" WT - 170

DOB - 5/6/95

HOMETOWN - Calgary, AB

LAST YEAR - Calgary Northstars

ROUND - 8 (171TH overall)

Jason Fram

POS -D

HT - 5'11" WT - 175

DOB - 4/23/95

HOMETOWN - South Delta, BC

LAST YEAR - South Delta Bantam

ROUND - 9 (193rd overall)

Jakub Romo

POS - F

HT - 5'9" WT - 156

DOB - 6/6/95

HOMETOWN - Fullerton, CA

LAST YEAR - California Stars Midget 16 AAA

RD PICK NAME POS HT WT DOB HOMETOWN TEAM

1 17 Tyler King-Cunningham D 6'0" 174 2/18/95 Pilot Butte, SK Notre Dame (SSBHL)

3 58 Riley Whittingham RW 6'0" 165 5/1/95 Calgary, AB Calgary Northstars (AMBHL)

4 83 Nakeh Lamothe LW 6'0" 160 2/26/95 Edmonton, AB Edmonton SSAC (AMBHL)

5 105 Brett Lewchuk G 5'10" 140 1/6/95 Saskatoon, SK Saskatoon Frostbite (GSHL)

6 126 Bo Pellah D 5'10" 140 5/25/95 Burnaby, BC Burnaby Winter Club (PCBHL)

6 127 Tyson Predinchuk F 6'2" 160 6/1/95 Regina, SK Regina Hurricanes (SSBHL)

6 129 Jeremy McIntosh D 6'1" 160 3/19/95 Calgary, AB Calgary Bronks (AMBHL)

7 149 Cade Owad F 5'10" 170 5/6/95 Calgary, AB Calgary Northstars (AMBHL)

8 171 Jason Fram D 5'11" 175 4/23/95 South Delta, BC South Delta Bantam (PCBHL)

9 193 Jakub Romo F 5'9" 156 6/6/95 Fullerton, CA California Stars AAA Midget 16

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