Warriors Prepared for Two Drafts this Week
May 8, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release
Moose Jaw, SK - While the Moose Jaw Warriors continue to push for their first Western Hockey League Championship on the ice, off the ice General Manager Jason Ripplinger and the team's scouting staff have been hard at work preparing for the future.
The WHL will host the 2024 U.S. Priority and Prospects drafts over the next two days.
Moose Jaw will head into the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft with ten picks in total, starting in the second round.
"It's a very exciting day for myself and our scouting staff, this is where the organization to go forward and establish the future," Ripplinger said.
After making a number of trades to help this team in its push for the organization's first WHL title, Ripplinger said that puts pressure on the front office to perform well in this week's draft.
"We'll see how things fall into place, we'll go off our list and we'll get a good player in the second round," he said.
Ripplinger said there's some good value to be found in the later rounds of this year's Prospects Draft.
"After Landon Dupont, it does take a bit of a dip, but there's still good players," he said. "There's a lot of depth, get into the second, third, fourth, fifth, even sixth round, there's a lot of players that we might have them in the sixth, but other teams might have them in the second or third round."
The Warriors hold the 18th and 40th overall selections in Wednesday's WHL U.S. Priority Draft.
Ripplinger said the Warriors rely on connections in the United States to identify players that they hope to select with their two picks.
"We don't really travel much into the States, we watch a lot of video on the players that we've been recommended and then we'll put them in an order of how we like them," he said.
The Warriors haven't signed any of their picks from the U.S. Priority Draft since it began in 2020, however, the players have all shown interest in the WHL.
"A lot of Americans, they want to come up and see what the WHL is all about first before they make a commitment to the league," he said.
"If we're going to commit to an American, we want to make sure he's a top-six forward or a top-four defenceman or could be potentially a starting goaltender, and we've drafted some good players, but they've ended up choosing the college route."
The WHL U.S. Priority Draft goes on Wednesday at 10 a.m. and then the WHL Prospects Draft begins with the Pre-Draft Show on WHL Live on CHL TV and YouTube at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.
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Western Hockey League Stories from May 8, 2024
- Warriors Add Two American Prospects in Wednesday's U.S. Priority Draft - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Winterhawks Add Pair of Americans in 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft - Portland Winterhawks
- Chiefs Select D Brady Elbert Seventh Overall in WHL U.S. Priority Draft, F Spencer Anderson in Second Round - Spokane Chiefs
- Broncos Add Pair from Minnesota at U.S. Priority Draft - Swift Current Broncos
- Warriors Forward Firkus Wins Bob Clarke Trophy as 2023-24 WHL Top Scorer Presented by Kubota Canada - WHL
- Cougars Select Cole Hajt and Dax Diep in 2024 US Priority Draft - Prince George Cougars
- Murray Pleased with Skill Level, Character of U.S. Picks - Brandon Wheat Kings
- WHL Completes 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft - WHL
- Giants Select Chartier, Storr in U.S. Priorty Draft - Vancouver Giants
- Rockets Make Two Picks In U.S. Priority Draft - Kelowna Rockets
- Rebels Tab Two in 2024 U.S. Priority Draft - Red Deer Rebels
- Silvertips Add Goaltender Enck, Center Fox in U.S. Priority Draft - Everett Silvertips
- Wild Select Pair of Minnesota Preps Wednesday in First U.S. Priority Draft - Wenatchee Wild
- Hurricanes Select Didomenicantonio, Murphy in US Priority Draft - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Oil Kings Select Two Players in 2024 U.S. Priority Draft - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Americans Select Schaefer Twins in U.S. Priority Draft - Tri-City Americans
- Tigers Select Pair of Forwards in US Priority Draft - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Pats Make Pair of Selections in 2024 U.S. Priority Draft - Regina Pats
- Kamloops Blazers Select Two Players in WHL U.S. Priority Draft - Kamloops Blazers
- U.S Draft: Second Pick Nets Wheat Kings Shattuck's Leading Scorer - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Royals Select Brayden Willis and Cooper Avelar in 2024 U.S. Priority Draft - Victoria Royals
- U.S. Draft: Wheat Kings Select Shattuck St. Mary's Sniper with First Pick - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Warriors Prepared for Two Drafts this Week - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Road to the WHL Draft: 2023 - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Broncos Set for 2024 U.S. Priority Draft - Swift Current Broncos
- Tigers Kick-Off Draft Week with US Priority Draft - Medicine Hat Tigers
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