Sports stats



WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

WHL Bantam Draft continues

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


Calgary, Alberta - For the first time ever, the Brandon Wheat Kings have chosen a player from British Columbia in the opening round of Thursday's Western Hockey League bantam draft.

With the seventeenth overall pick in Thursday's bantam draft in Calgary, the Wheat Kings opted for highly touted right-winger Brandon Regier from Abbotsford, British Columbia.

As a member of the Abbotsford AAA bantam Hawks this past season, Regier scored 49 goals and 72 points in 55 games. As well, he accumulated 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."

The 6' 180 lb. Regier becomes the highest BC born 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 selection (34th overall) in 1997.

Thanks to a 2006 trade involving defenceman Mike Cann and the Lethbridge Huricanes, the Wheat Kings had the 31st overall pick and used it to select 6' 170 lb defenceman Ryley Miller from Spruce Grove, Alberta.

"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 33 games with the Spruce Grove bantams this past season, Miller had seven goals, 23 points and 108 penalty minutes.

With their third round pick (61st overall), the Wheat Kings returned to Manitoba, selecting 5'9" 160 lb right-winger Jordan DePape from the Winnipeg bantam AAA Warriors. The younger brother of Prince Albert Raider Ryan, DePape scored 36 goals and 54 points in 30 games this past winter.

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.

Check out the Brandon Wheat Kings Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from May 3, 2007


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Brandon Wheat Kings Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central