WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Wheat Kings Choose Eleven

Published on May 1, 2014 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Calgary, AB. - The Western Hockey League Bantam Draft has come and gone and the Brandon Wheat Kings were busy, selecting eleven players, including the first overall pick for 2014.

The Wheat Kings began the day by selecting center Stelio Mattheos of the Winnipeg AAA Bantam Monarchs, marking the first time in franchise history that Brandon has had the number one pick.

In 35 games this past season, Mattheos accumulated 103 points, including 53 goals. The 6'2" 180 lb. Winnipeg captain added another twelve goals and 19 points in eight playoff games.

"This is a tremendously exciting day for our hockey club and fans," says Wheat Kings general manager and head coach Kelly McCrimmon. "Stelio is big, strong and skilled and a very powerful skater. As well, he has tremendous character."

"Joining some other top young players in our organization, we expect he will be an impact player. We are pleased to welcome Stelio to the Wheat Kings organization and look forward to watching him develop in Brandon," McCrimmon went on to say. "He will be a very good player for us."

"(Stelio) is a guy who puts in a lot of extra work away from the rink, to work on his fitness," Monarchs head coach Stewart Thiessen recently told the Winnipeg Free Press. "His strength and his speed...that translates to giving himself a lot of opportunities in games."

Brandon used their second, third and fourth round picks to draft Ian Mitchell of Calahoo, Alberta (32nd overall), Calgary defenceman Jarrod Gourlay (54th overall) and Red Deer right-winger Jeremy Klessens (76th overall).

As a member of the Spruce Grove AAA Bantams this past season, Mitchell scored four goals and 21 points in 24 games for the 25-6-2 Saints.

"Ian has an excellent shot and puck skills," according to this year's Western Elite Hockey prospects Report.

In 32 games with the AAA Bantam Bisons, the 6'1" 185 lb Gourlay had five goals and 29 points while the 5'10" 176 lb Klessens scored 27 goals and 45 points as a member of the Red Deer Rebel White Bantams this past season. As well, Klessens was the AMBHL South Division Rookie of the Year in 2012-13.

The Wheat Kings used their two fifth round selections to grab local product ConnorGutenberg (106th overall) and netminder Hunter Arps (109th) of Pleasantdale, Saskatchewan. In 32 games for the Bantam Wheat Kings this past season, the 5'8" 130 lb. Gutenberg led the club in scoring with 20 goals and 40 points while the 6'1" 153 lb. Arps recorded an impressive 2.34 goals against average in 23 games for the North East Wolfpack.

With their only pick of round six, Brandon opted for center James McIsaac of the Winnipeg Warriors. After averaging well over a point per game (32-26-58) in 31 games during the regular season, the 5'9" 155 lb. forward scored eight goals and 12 points in seven playoff games for the Warriors.

After having traded their seventh round pick to Red Deer, the Wheat Kings used their eighth round selection (164th overall) to draft 5'9" 153 lb. right-winger Leif Mattson of Stonewall. In 32 games with the Interlake Bantam Lightning this past season, Mattson scored 33 goals and 66 points. He followed that up by scoring thirteen goals in five playoff games.

In round nine (186th overall), Brandon took 6' 177 lb defenceman Dane Hirst of Lac du Bonnet, who had four goals and 16 points in 33 games with the Eastman AAA Bantam Selects in 2013-14.

Brandon's second goalkeeper came in the tenth round when the Wheat Kings took 6' 159 lb Justin Klassen of Portage la Prairie 208th overall. A former member of the Winnipeg Jr. Jets, Klassen compiled a 4.40 goals against average in 23 games for the Central Plains Bantam Capitals this past winter.

With their final pick, the Wheat Kings turned their attention south of the border, selecting 5'10" 185 lb blueliner Mikey Anderson from Roseville, Minnesota. A member of the Hill-Murray Varisty high school team, Anderson had 1 goal and six points in 25 games this year. He's also the younger brother of Joey Anderson, who was picked by Brandon in the ninth round of the 2013 draft.

Of the eleven players chosen by the Wheat Kings Thursday - two were goalkeepers, four were defencemen and five were forwards. Six of the 11 were from Manitoba with three from Alberta and one each from Saskatchewan and Minnesota.

By choosing Mattheos, it marked the second straight season that the Wheat Kings have chosen a Winnipeg born player with their first bantam selection. In 2013, Brandon took center Nolan Patrick fourth overall. In fact, he becomes the ninth Manitoban to be chosen by the Wheat Kings in round one since the WHL introduced the draft in 1990.

In addition to Patrick, Manitobans selected by the Wheat Kings in the opening round have included the likes of Codey Burki, Eric Fehr, Justin Kurtz and Colin Cloutier, who were selected in 2002, 2000, 1992 and '91 respectively.

Prior to this year, Brandon's best draft position had been second overall - in 1991, '92 and '93 - when the Wheat Kings chose Cloutier, Wade Redden and Darren Van Oene respectively.

By going to Brandon first overall, Mattheos joins some pretty select company, becoming one of only twenty-five to go first overall in the annual bantam draft.

Among those that have been chosen number one over the course of the past 24 years include the likes of Jarret Stoll (Edmonton Ice) of the Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues defenceman Jay Bouwmeester (Medicine Hat), Jonathan Toews (Tri-City) of the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia's Braydon Coburn (Portland) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Red Deer) of the Edmonton Oilers.

Nugent-Hopkins went on to become the first overall pick in the National Hockey League draft in 2011.

The Wheat Kings earned this year's top pick thanks to a 2012 trade with Saskatoon that saw Brenden Walker go to the Blades.

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