WHL Seattle Thunderbirds

T-Birds Take Right Wing With First Pick In 2009 WHL Bantam Draft

Published on April 30, 2009 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release


Kent, April 30, 2009 - The Seattle Thunderbirds selected right wing Brandon Troock from Edmonton, Alberta, with their first selection in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft.

"Brandon is a big, strong forward with excellent vision," said T-Birds GM Russ Farwell. "We were very happy Brandon was available when we selected and we are excited to have drafted him." Troock, at 6'1 and 180 pounds, played for the Edmonton CAC Bantam AAA team this past season. He appeared in 32 games and had 21 goals and 28 points for 49 points with 82 penalty minutes.

In the second round, with the 34th overall selection, the T-Birds took center Justin Hickman from Kelowna, British Columbia.

Hickman, at 6'0 and 160 pounds, was the captain of his team, the Kelowna Jr. Rockets Bantam Tier 1 team. He was born March 18, 1994.

"Justin is a dynamic, physical center that plays with a lot of energy," said Farwell.

The T-Birds selected left wing Jetlan Houcher from Paradise Valley, Alberta, with their third round pick, 56th overall.

Jetlan, born February 15, 1994, played for the Lloydminster Bantam AAA team. He appeared in 33 games and had 50 goals and 19 assists for 69 points with 28 penalty minutes. Jetlan is 5'11 and 160 pounds.

"Jetlan is a good goal scorer who led the Alberta Bantam league in goal scoring," said Farwell.

Seattle did not have a pick in the fourth round of the draft. They traded this pick to the Prince Albert Raiders last season for Devon LeBlanc.

In the fifth round the T-Birds selected right wing Jayson Ness from Drayton Valley, Alberta.

Ness, a right hand shot, played for the Leduc Bantam AAA team this past season where he had five goals and 17 assists with 123 penalty minutes in 29 games. He was born January 26, 1994 and is 5'9 and 170 pounds.

"Jayson has similarities to former T-Bird Tyler Willis. We think he has a chance to be a fan favorite," said Farwell.

The T-Birds selected right handed defenseman Evan Wardley in the sixth round. Wardley is from Vulcan, Alberta, and is 6'3" and 186 pounds.

This season with the Lethbridge Bantam AAA team he appeared in 33 games and had 14 points on four goals and 10 assists with 28 penalty minutes.

"Wardley has good size with a real potential to develop into an imposing defenseman," said Farwell.

In the seventh round the T-Birds selected defenseman John Dora from Erie, Colorado. Dora is a right hand shot who is 6'2 and 175 pounds and was born February 19, 1994.

"John is a safe and steady defenseman with very good size," said Farwell.

Dora played 59 games for the Colorado Thunderbirds Bantam AAA team this past season. He had 20 points on four goals and 16 assists with 53 penalty minutes and a plus-48 rating.

The T-Birds selected goalie Jared D'Amico from Chestermere, Alberta, in the eighth round. Chestermere was born January 12, 1994, and is 5'7 and 150 pounds.

This season with the Okotoks Bantam AAA team D'Amico appeared in 33 games and had a 3.79 goals against average and a .906 Save Percentage.

"Jared is a competitive, athletic goalie who moves very well," said Farwell.

In the ninth round the T-Birds selected left wing Kyle Horsman from Sechelt, British Columbia. Horsman is 6'3 and 145 pounds and was born May 22, 1994.

"Kyle is a smart, big forward who just needs to gain strength as he grows," said Farwell.

The T-Birds did not have a pick in the 10th round as they traded that pick at the beginning of last season to the Vancouver Giants for Jonathan Parker.

Seattle took Patrick D'Amico a right wing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, in the 11th round of the draft.

"Patrick is an exciting player with lots of heart. He just needs to grow a bit," said Farwell.

D'Amico is a right hand shot who played 29 games with the Winnipeg Monarchs Bantam AAA team this past season. He had 11 goals and 14 assists with 28 penalty minutes.

Alex Kerfoot was the T-Birds 12th round selection. Kerfoot is a center from Hollyburn, British Columbia, who was born September 11, 1994.

Kerfoot, at 5'5 and 130 pounds, played for the Hollyburn Bantam Tier 1 team this season.

The T-Birds took a second goalie by selecting Danny Kowalski from Centennial, Colorado, in the 13th round.

Kowalski, 5'9 and 150 pounds, had 35 wins, nine losses and four ties for the Colorado Thunderbirds Bantam AAA team. He had a Save Percentage of .862 and a Goals Against Average of 2.10.

Kowalski, born November 18, 1994, and Dora were teammates on the Colorado Thunderbirds last season.

Seattle's last selection in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft was left defenseman Jordan Houghton from Sherwood Park, Alberta.

Houghton was born January 8, 1994, and is 5'11 and 200 pounds. He played 30 games this past season for the Sherwood Park Bantam AAA team. Houghton had 12 points on three goals and nine assists and 65 penalty minutes.

"We are happy with the size and skill we added this year in the draft," said Farwell.

The T-Birds selected three right wings, two left wings, two centers, three defenseman and two goalies in the 2009 Bantam Draft.

During the course of the draft the T-Birds kept fans updated on the selections, as they were made, on the social networking site Twitter. Fans that create an account on Twitter will be updated all during the off- season when roster moves are made or the team has a community appearance scheduled. The T-Birds account on Twitter can be accessed at www.twitter. com/seattletbirds .

T-Birds season tickets for the 2009-10 season are currently on sale. Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-PUCK (7825).

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Western Hockey League Stories from April 30, 2009


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