WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Wheat Kings Choose Thirteen

April 29, 2010 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Edmonton, Alberta - The 2010 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft has come and gone in Edmonton, with the Brandon Wheat Kings choosing a total of thirteen players including a league high five from Manitoba.

For the first time in franchise history, the Wheat Kings did not have a first or second round selection, having traded away their first two picks in the January deadline deal that brought all star defenceman Travis Hamonic over from the Moose Jaw Warriors.

The Wheat Kings, who finished atop the WHL's Eastern Division this season with a record of 50-18-1-3, used their first pick - 65th overall - to select 5'11" 165 lb defenceman Colton Waltz from Vermillion, Alberta. As a member of the Lloydminster Bantams this past season, Waltz scored eighteen goals and 42 points in thirty games. This marks the second time in three years that the Wheat Kings have gone to Alberta for their first pick. In 2008, Brandon chose Edmonton right-winger Klarc Wilson.

In the fourth round, the Wheat Kings chose 6' 165 lb goaltender Tyler Fuhr of Sherwood Park, Alberta. Playing in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League this past season, Fuhr compiled an impressive 1.79 goals against average and a sparkling .929 save percentage.

In round five, the Wheat Kings turned their attention to Manitoba, selecting 6'1" 165 lb blueliner Nolan Speiss from the Neepawa Bantam Natives. Speiss was one of two Neepawa products to be chosen by Brandon and was the first western Manitoban to be selected. With their ninth round pick (180th overall), the Wheat Kings chose 5'10" 155 lb. center Quinton Lisoway.

Rounding out Brandon's list of bantam picks on Thursday - 5'11" 165 lb left-winger Taylor Cooper of Sherwood Park (6th round, 131st overall), 5'8" 137 lb forward Kyler Hehn from Spruce Grove, Alberta (7th round, 153rd overall), 5'9" 150 lb center Daniel Taillefer of LaBroquerie, Manitoba (8th round, 159th overall), Victoria B.C. center Jack Palmer (8th round, 175th overall), Carlyle, Saskatchewan's Hunter Smith, a 5'11" 165 lb right-winger (9th round, 197th overall), Mitch Collett, a 5'6" 130 lb center from Calgary (10th round, 202nd overall), 5'10" 155 lb center Mathew Hadley of St. Agathe, Manitoba (10th round, 219th overall), Grunthal, Manitoba defenceman Gavin Froese, a 5'11" 150 lb blueliner (11th round, 237th overall) and 5'11" 165 lb defenceman Maxim Powiada from Saskatoon (11th round, 241st overall).

Three of the players chosen by the Wheat Kings - in rounds eight, nine and ten - came after Brandon and Seattle completed a deal that will see the T-Birds acquire a seventh round selection in 2011.

Of the thirteen players chosen by the Wheat Kings Thursday, eight were forwards, four were defencemen and there was one goalkeeper selected.

With the first overall selection in the draft, the Prince George Cougars took Alex Forsberg of Waldheim, Saskatchewan.

Forsberg, a 5'9", 170 pound centre played the 2009-10 season with the Beardy's Blackhawks of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League, finishing tied for third in league scoring with 26 goals and 46 assists for 72 points in 44 games, tops among all rookies in the SMAAAHL. In the 2010 SMAAAHL playoffs, Alex recorded seven goals and nine points in six games. The top Manitoban to be chosen was Winnipeg defenceman Madison Bowey with the first pick of the second round.

Players eligible for Thursday's Bantam Draft were 1995 born players who reside in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Territories, Yukon and the western United States.

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Western Hockey League Stories from April 29, 2010


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