Wheat Kings Choose 11 At WHL Draft

May 1, 2008 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release

Brandon, Manitoba - The 2008 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft has come and gone at the Round Up Center (Stampede Exhibition Park) in Calgary, with the Brandon Wheat Kings choosing a total of eleven players including five from Manitoba. In the opening round, the Wheat Kings swapped picks with Kelowna in order to move up from thirteenth place in order to take highly touted right-winger Klarc Wilson with the tenth overall selection. The Rockets also received Brandon's fourth round pick in the deal.

Described as a "game breaker with great instincts from the blueline in", one WHL scout describes him as having "an accurate shot...great hockey sense and huge offensive upside."

In 31 games with the Edmonton Knights of Columbus Squires last season, the 6' 185 lb. Wilson scored 34 goals and 79 points while accumulating 52 minutes in penalties.

While Wilson enjoyed a banner season by finishing third in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League North Division scoring race, the Wheat Kings' second pick and 35th overall was center Jason Swyripa of Calgary, who finished second in the league in scoring with 37 goals and 107 points in 33 games for the Airdrie Xtreme. The 5'8" 155 lb forward also collected 95 penalty minutes.

In round three, the Wheat Kings opted for 6' 160 lb goalkeeper Liam Liston from the St. Albert bantam Sabres with the 57th pick overall. In 21 games this past season, Liston compiled a 3.40 goals against average and a sparkling .903 save percentage.

Brandon had two picks in the fifth round and used them to select 5'11" 160 lb blueliner Jordan Fransoo from the Notre Dame Bantams (99th overall) and 5'11" 155 lb center Jeff Olson from the West Central Bantams in Kindersley (101st). While Fransoo, a native of North Battleford had six goals, 28 points and 44 penalty minutes in 26 games this past season, Olson averaged well over two points per game with 21 goals, 45 points and 77 penalty minutes in 21 games.

With their seventh round selection, Brandon looked closer to home, selecting right-winger Jens Meilleur from the Winnipeg Bantam Hawks. A 6' 165 lb native of Elie, Meilleur scored 20 goals and 35 points in 2007-08.

Brandon rounded out this year's draft by choosing Brandon defenceman Josh Elmes and center Austin Lewis in the eighth (167th) and ninth rounds (189th) respectively, Souris product Tanner Butler in round ten (211th), Derek Sobkow of Brandon in the eleventh (233rd) and Spencer Galbraith of Spruce Grove, Alberta in the 12th (255th overall). In 30 games this past season, Elmes had five goals, 22 points and 24 penalty minutes for the bantam Wheat Kings while Lewis had 42 points including 25 goals.

Of the eleven players chosen by the Wheat Kings - there were five defencemen, five forwards and one goalkeeper. While five of the 11 were from Manitoba, four were from Alberta and two were drafted out of Saskatchewan.

Western Manitoba's top pick was forward right-winger Kole Harvey of the Virden bantam Oil Kings. He was chosen in round six (112th overall) by the Everett Silvertips, following a deal with the Red Deer Rebels. In all, thirty-six Manitobans were chosen Thursday including twelve from westman.

The top Manitoban was Winnipeg's Michael St. Croix, who went to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the first round (4th overall).

The annual bantam draft is the first step in the identification of the top rated 1993 born prospects as WHL clubs select players from this age group to add to their WHL Player Protected List. Players eligible for the draft must reside in B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, NWT, the Yukon or the western United States.

For a complete list of players chosen in this year's draft, visit the WHL's official web site at www.whl.ca

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