The WHL Bantam Draft is just three days away. It’s always fun to look at the past for each team in the draft and a good way of doing that is to look back at who each team took in past years with the pick number they have this year.
Edmonton Oil Kings #1 – have never drafted at this position
Kootenay Ice #2 – Connor McClennon 2017 F – five games played with the ICE as of the end of the 2017-18 season. Ben Maxwell 2003 C/LW – played parts of five seasons
with the ICE. Drafted 49th overall to the Montreal Canadiens in the 2006 NHL draft. Went on to play 47 NHL games as recently as 2011-12. Currently signed to play for Spartak Moskva of the KHL for 2018-19.
Prince Albert Raiders #3 – Brendan Guhle 2012 D – played 201 WHL games with the Raiders before being dealt to the Cougars for the 2016-17 playoff run. Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2015 (51st overall). Has appeared in 21 NHL games to date.
Calgary Hitmen #4 – have never drafted at this position
Kamloops Blazers #5 – Jimmy Bubnick 2006 C – played in parts of four seasons with the Blazers before being dealt to the Calgary Hitmen in the 2009-10 season. Totaled 335 games over six seasons, scoring 109 goals and adding 133 assists. 6th round (155th overall) draft pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009. Went on to play one season for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies following his junior career.
Saskatoon Blades #6 – Brent Benson 2008 C – played five seasons of WHL hockey registering 105 points in 216 games. Played all but 10 games with the Blades. Justin Kanigan 1998 LW – spent five seasons in the WHL, 91 games of which were with the Blades. He was then traded to the Spokane Chiefs before finishing his career with the Vancouver Giants. Following his WHL career he went on to play five seasons with the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.
Red Deer Rebels #7 – Doug Lynch 1998 D – played five seasons in the WHL for 266 games, all but 42 of them with the Rebels. Lynch scored 55 times and added 87 assists. Named captain of the Rebels in 2001-02 and was a Memorial Cup Champion in 2000-01. He was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers 43rd overall (2nd round) in 2001 and would go on to play two games in the NHL with the Oilers. He would spend four seasons in the AHL before heading overseas and playing until 2013-14. His final team was EC Salzburg of the EBEL.
Lethbridge Hurricanes #8 – Michael Kaye 2002 RW – would spend parts of six seasons in the WHL, playing 146 games with the Hurricanes. Kaye would play a full season with the Saskatoon Blades and just five games with the Tri-City Americans. He would then move onto the CHL for the remainder of his 20-year-old season. Following that season he would play five seasons with the University of Saskatoon Huskies. Ryan Robinson 1999 F – would play just 55 WHL games, 35 with the Hurricanes. Would go on to play parts of three seasons in the BCHL before trying 18 games in Italy.
Prince George Cougars #9 – have never drafted at this position
Seattle Thunderbirds #10 – Geoff White 1992 D – did not play a single game in the WHL. Only one season played in the BCJHL in 1992-93.
Medicine Hat Tigers #11 – Denny Johnston 1997 RW – played exactly 300 WHL games over six seasons. 200 games were spent with the Tigers, the remainder split between the Prince George Cougars and the Saskatoon Blades. Johnston moved on to the University of New Brunswick following his WHL career and spent five seasons with the Varsity Reds. Retired from hockey after a single game in 2014-15 playing for the Rosetown Red Wings in the SVHL.
Vancouver Giants #12 – have never drafted at this position
(Photo: Christoper Kelsall, Victoria Sports News)
Victoria Royals #13 – Eric Florchuk 2015 C – played 94 games for the Royals before being traded to the Saskatoon Blades during the 2017-18 season. Florchuk is NHL draft eligible this season. Chaz Reddekopp 2012 D – spent his entire WHL career of six seasons with the Royals. 280 games played produced 27 goals and 107 assists. Drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 7th round (187th overall) in 2015. Has signed his entry level contract with the team.
Tri-City Americans #14 – Tim Green 1996 F – spent parts of four seasons with the Americans before being traded to the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Added 64 goals and 84 assists over 227 WHL games. After two seasons of collegiate level hockey in Alberta, Green moved on to the Southern Pro Hockey League where he played for six seasons. In 314 games he was able to produce 393 points. He retired after a season in the BRHL with the Hardisty Stampeders in 2010-11.
Brandon Wheat Kings #15 – Brett Dickie 1998 D – played parts of six WHL seasons, five of them with the Wheat Kings. 55 of his 323 games were spent with the Prince George Cougars in his overage season. He scored seven goals and added 35 assists before moving onto the University of Saskatchewan Huskies program for four seasons. Dickie still played hockey actively in 2017-18 with the Cabri Bulldogs of the WMHL.
Red Deer Rebels #16 – Jacob Herauf 2015 D – Herauf just completed his second WHL season with the Rebels. To date he has played in 107
games, scoring twice and adding 21 assists. He is NHL draft eligible this season.
Spokane Chiefs #17 – Tyler King 2010 D – spent four seasons in the WHL. Played 132 games with the Chiefs before being traded to the Kootenay ICE where he spent 100 more games. Over his 232 WHL games he had 17 goals and 62 assists. After spending a season in the SJHL he moved onto the University of Regina Cougars, currently finished two seasons with that program. Brandin Cote 1996 C – played in six seasons with the Chiefs, promoted to Assistant Captain and then Captain in his fifth year. He played in 352 WHL games, scoring 101 goals and adding 154 assists. He also added 52 games of playoff experience. Undrafted to the NHL, he went on to play in 194 AHL games with the Norfolk Admirals. He played parts of three seasons overseas with various teams and then returned to North America to play for the Bentley Generals. He is now an associate coach with the Red Deer College Kings hockey team.
Kelowna Rockets #18 – Tyson Barrie 2006 D – spent five seasons in the WHL all with the Rockets. 256 games played resulted in 51 goals and 177 assists. Barrie was named Captain of the Rockets in his final season. He was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche 64th overall (3rd round) in 2009. He has since been with the Avalanche for seven seasons playing in a total of 406 NHL games.
Portland Winterhawks #19 – Cody Glass 2014 C – The signed Las Vegas Golden Knights prospect just finished his 3rd full season with the Portland Winterhawks. He has played 201 WHL games all with the Winterhawks scoring 79 goals and adding 144 assists. Brett Novak 2000 RW – never stepped foot on the ice for the Winterhawks, instead playing for the Prince Albert Raiders. He spent six seasons with the Raiders, Scoring 50 goals and adding 66 assists in 330 WHL games. He has now played 10 seasons in the FCHL, playing 2017-18 with the Wakaw Lakers.
Edmonton Oil Kings #20 – Kobe Mohr 2014 LW – just completed his fourth season with the Oil Kings, playing in 175 games. Has scored 22 goals and added 42 assists. He has not been drafted to the NHL.
Prince George Cougars #21 – have never drafted at this position
Moose Jaw Warriors #22 – Chad Seur 2005 (2nd round) D – spent four seasons with the Warriors and another with the Everett Silvertips to close out his WHL career. 296 games produced eight goals and 77 assists. Seur then went on to play with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies for four seasons. He last played hockey in 2016-17 with the Prairie Outlaws of the FCHL. Shawn Limpright 1996 (2nd round) LW – played four years in the WHL all with the Warriors. Limpright played in 264 games, scoring 93 goals and adding 127 assists. He played 11 seasons of North American semi-pro hockey, winning a championship with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in 2010-11. He also played parts of two seasons overseas. Also won an Allan Cup with the South East Prairie Thunder in 2014-15.
