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WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

WHL Bantam Draft continues for Wheat Kings

May 3, 2007 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Calgary, Alberta - The 2007 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft has come to an end at the Round-Up Center (Stampede Exhibition Park) in Calgary and for the first time in franchise history, the Eastern Division Champion Brandon Wheat Kings looked to the province of British Columbia with their first round selection.

The Wheat Kings had the seventeenth overall selection in the opening round and used it to take 6' 180 lb right-winger Brandon Regier of Abbotsford. As a member of the Abbotsford bantam Hawks this past season, Regier scored 49 goals and 72 points in 55 games, while accumulating 164 minutes in penalties.

"Brandon is a big physical player with good offensive ability," says Brandon coach and general manager Kelly McCrimmon. "We look forward to him joining the organization."

Regier becomes the highest drafted BC forn player to be chosen by the Wheat Kings. Former captain Ryan Craig of the National Hockey League's Tampa Bay Lightning was a second round pick of Brandon (34th overall) ten years ago.

With their second round pick (31st overall), Brandon opted for 6' 170 lb defenceman Ryley Miller from Spruce Grove, Alberta. In 33 games with the Spruce Grove bantams last year, Miller had seven goals, 23 points and 108 penalty minutes.

"We felt that Ryley was one of the top defencemen available in the draft," says McCrimmon. "He's strong, he's tough, he's a competitor...a good player."

In round three, the Wheat Kings returned to Manitoba, selecting 5'9" 160 lb right-winger Jordan DePape from the Winnipeg bantam AAA Warriors. A younger brother of Prince Albert Raider Ryan, DePape had 36 goals, including a league leading five shorthanded markers and 54 points in thirty games this winter.

Round four saw Brandon choose blueliner Dallas Ehrhardt of Calgary (83rd overall). The 6'2" 180 lb defenceman had eight goals, 15 points and 126 penalty minutes in 32 games for the Calgary AAA Bantam Blazers in 2006-07. The Wheat Kings then chose 5'11" 160 lb center Mark Stone from the Winnipeg AAA bantam Sharks with the first of their two fifth round picks (92nd overall). Stone had 34 goals and 57 points for the Sharks this past season. With their second fifth round selection (110th overall), Brandon took high scoring forward Brendan Rouse from Langley, B.C. A 5'10" 145 lb left-winger had 31 goals and 107 points in 77 games.

With their sixth round pick (123rd overall), the Wheat Kings nabbed Wheaton King from the Brandon AAA bantam Wheat Kings. The younger brother to Sanfred, King led the local bantams in scoring this past season with twelve goals and 20 points in 29 games. Sanfred King was the Wheat Kings first round bantam draft choice in 2005.

Brandon doesn't have a seventh round pick.

After a last minute deal between Moose Jaw and Portland, the Warriors used the first overall pick to select center Quinton Howden of the Springfield bantam AAA Ice Hawks.

Kelowna then chose Phoenix product Luke Moffat with the second pick. Howden was one of two Manitobans to be chosen in the top four. The Saskatoon Blades selected Winnipeg center Charles Inglis.

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