NHL Draft Blog: WHL Players Well Represented in Round One
July 8, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release
Montreal, QC - The 2022 NHL Draft festivities have commenced in Montreal and the two days promise to be full of exciting moments. It's our goal at Winterhawks.com to keep our fans updated on all the happenings on the draft floor inside the Bell Centre this week.
Before we can get to the day two coverage of the draft, a day that will hopefully feature a few Winterhawks selected, let's recap the first 32 picks of the draft.
ROUND 1
There was no shortage of Western Hockey League talent selected in round one of the NHL Draft. Six skaters who played in the league this past season were drafted Thursday night, which is tied for the most players selected in round one of the draft by any league.
Seattle Thunderbirds defenseman Kevin Korchinski was the first WHL talent selected on Thursday, going 7th overall to the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago made a blockbuster trade with the Ottawa Senators hours before the draft to acquire the pick and they got their guy on the Winterhawks' rival team.
A pair of Winnipeg ICE forwards - Matthew Savoie (9th overall to the Buffalo Sabres) and Conor Geekie (11th overall to the Arizona Coyotes) - heard their names called soon after Korchinski and Moose Jaw's defenseman Denton Mateychuk went 12th overall to Columbus to give the WHL four of the first 12 picks.
Rounding out the WHL selections in the first round were Swift Current Broncos defenseman Owen Pickering (21st overall to the Pittsburgh Penguins) and Thunderbirds forward Reid Schaefer (32nd overall to the Edmonton Oilers).
Winterhawks prospect Jimmy Snuggerud heard his name called by the St. Louis Blues brass with the 23rd overall selection. Snuggerud played for the U.S. National Development program during the 2021-22 season and he's expected to enroll at the University of Minnesota in the fall. The 6-foot-2, 187-pound winger will remain on the Winterhawks protected list and there's always a chance down the road for Snuggerud to become a Winterhawk. For now, we'll be cheering him on as a Gopher.
Also of note, a few unsigned prospects selected by Canadian Hockey League clubs in recent CHL Import Drafts were chosen in the first round. Focusing on the WHL prospects, Jonathan Lekkerimäki (Vancouver Giants), Joakim Kemell (Regina Pats), and Brad Lambert (Seattle Thunderbirds) were all first-round selections. We'll see if those top end prospects opt to play juniors in North America next season.
The moment of the draft so far? Three Slovakian players were selected in the first round, which is the most Slovakian-born players ever drafted in the first round. Childhood friends Juraj Slafkovsky and Filip Mesar were both selected by the host team, the Montréal Canadiens, and fellow countryman Simon Nemec shared a celebratory embrace outside the Bell Centre.
ROUND 2
The draft continues Friday at 8:00 a.m. PT.
Check back frequently to Winterhawks.com for updated round-by-round analysis.
Western Hockey League Stories from July 8, 2022
- Lisowsky Drafted by Toronto Maple Leafs - Saskatoon Blades
- Beaupit, Sward Selected in Fourth and Fifth Rounds of 2022 NHL Draft - Spokane Chiefs
- Winterhawks Marek Alscher Selected by Florida in 2022 NHL Draft - Portland Winterhawks
- 28 Western Hockey League Players Selected in 2022 NHL Draft - WHL
- Marek Alscher Becomes the 146th Winterhawk Drafted into the NHL - Portland Winterhawks
- Parker Bell Selected by Flames in 2022 NHL Draft - Tri-City Americans
- NHL DRAFT: Ben Hemmerling, Ryan Hofer Selected in 2022 NHL Draft - Everett Silvertips
- Wild Select Milne 89th Overal in 2022 NHL Draft - Winnipeg Ice
- NHL Draft Blog: WHL Players Well Represented in Round One - Portland Winterhawks
- Six WHL Players Selected in First Round of 2022 NHL Draft - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Firkus Taken 35th Overall by Seattle Kraken - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Mateychuk Selected 12th Overall by Blue Jackets - Moose Jaw Warriors
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
