WHL Everett Silvertips

Silvertips Select 13 Players in WHL Bantam Draft

Published on May 7, 2015 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Everett Silvertips News Release


EVERETT - The Everett Silvertips added 13 new prospects to their protected list in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft Thursday in Calgary, Alberta. Headlining the crop of 2000-born Everett prospects is center Brett Kemp of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, who the 'Tips selected with the 41st overall pick in the second round.

Among the 13 players are seven forwards, five defensemen and one goaltender. Eight of the 13 are Canadian (three each from British Columbia and Manitoba and one from both Alberta and Saskatchewan), while five American-born players represent five different states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Minnesota and Washington). Buckley native Dawson Butt became the fifth Washington product taken by Everett in the last four years in the sixth round.

"Overall we're extremely happy and confident with the group of players we picked today," said Director of Player Personnel Bil La Forge. "The thing they have in common is that every guy in our group can play Silvertips hockey - every guy can think the game and every guy can skate. It's a really good group and I think it was a good day for the Everett Silvertips."

The 'Tips used their first pick of the 2015 draft to take Kemp, who was third in Saskatchewan in scoring with 79 points (37g/42a) for a high-powered Yorkton Terriers club that went 30-1 in the regular season and won the provincial championship to earn a spot in the Western Canadian Bantam Championships. He tied for the league lead with nine playoff goals and totaled 15 points in nine postseason contests.

"The thing we like most about Brett is that every time we watched him play, he always seemed to be the smartest player in the rink," remarked La Forge. "He played in every situation for Yorkton this year, whether they were up or down 5-on-3, in the big moments and when the chips were down, he was a guy that produced for his team consistently."

Despite not having a first-round choice after the early-season acquisition of star winger Nikita Scherbak from Saskatoon, Everett still made ten selections in the first six rounds thanks to picks acquired in other deals. The 'Tips gained a third-round pick during the draft and a conditional 2017 selection in a trade with Red Deer, who received 19-year-old forward Ivan Nikolishin in exchange. The Silvertips then made two choices each in the third, fourth and fifth rounds before adding three players in the sixth round.

"Ian Walker is a Silvertips-style defenseman; a special talent who was captain of his team and reminds me a little bit of Noah Juulsen," La Forge continued. "Ryan Savage and Nick Castro are both elite offensive players who make special things happen when they've got the puck, and Montana Onyebuchi is a guy who leaves everything out there - the other team's top players are going to know they were on the ice with him every time."

2015 Silvertips Bantam Draft Selections

Round Pick # Player

Round 2 #41 Brett Kemp - C, Yorkton, SK

Round 3 #60 Ian Walker - D, Vancouver, BC

#63 Montana Onyebuchi - D, Dugald, MB

Round 4 #68 Ryan Savage - C, Scottsdale, AZ

#80 Gianni Fairbrother - D, North Vancouver, BC

Round 5 #89 Nick Castro - LW, Redondo Beach, CA

#107 Orrin Centazzo - F, Marwayne, AB

Round 6 #118 Dawson Butt - C, Buckley, WA

#121 Ethan Scardina, C, Surrey, BC

#129 Will Brown - D, Denver, CO

Round 7 #151 Zachary Bennett - G, St. Paul, MB

Round 8 #173 Demetrios Koumontzis - F, Edina, MN

Round 9 #195 Curtis Ireland - D, Brandon, MB

This year's Bantam Draft dispersed the WHL rights of graduating Bantam-aged players born in the year 2000 from Western Canada and the Western United States.

Check out the Everett Silvertips Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Western Hockey League Stories from May 7, 2015


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.

OurSports Central