The Vancouver Giants selected eight players in the WHL Bantam Draft along with two in the US Prospects Draft to help deepen their prospect pool. The team took three defencemen, six forwards and one goaltender with their ten selections. Here is a breakdown of their picks.
Colton Roberts
Colton Roberts is a mobile defenceman out of the Delta Hockey Academy who was drafted in the first round by the Giants. So far this season, the 6’1″ defenceman leads all defencemen in the CSSHL U-17 with 26 points in 17 games. This fills a big need for the Giants as they will lose two of their three right-handed defenseman next season due to ageing out. For the next few seasons, he will make a strong one-two punch with Mazden Leslie on that right side.
Matthew Hutchinson
In the third round, the Giants selected Matthew Hutchinson. The 6’2″ goaltender has some experience in the BCHL already playing two games with a .909% save percentage. The hope is he will choose the WHL route as he looks to be a solid goaltender who could help the Giants in the future.
Justin Ivanusec
Justin Ivanusev was selected in the fourth round out of the Burnaby Winter Club. He has 12 points in 15 games with the U-18 as an underager which currently ranks seventh on the team. What’s impressive is he is showing that he can compete with older players as he is only 15. The Giants will hope he can become a fourth-round steal like Alex Kannok Leipert was in 2015.
Linden Burrett
In the fifth round, the Giants went back to the Delta Hockey Academy to select Linden Burrett. The 5’10” defenceman has 16 points in 16 games this season with the U-17 team and has also seen some time with the U-18. He looks to be a strong player that can play the WHL game and should make this blueline stronger.
Connor Miller
The Giants went to Saskatchewan to select Connor Miller in the seventh round. Miller has looked good this season, posting 21 points in 24 games in the SMAAAHL. Another player that is succeeding in a U-18 league, Miller, looks to be a strong two-way player that can play special teams and make a difference every time he steps on the ice.
McCarthy Richardson
The Giants returned back to BC to select McCarthy Richardson in the eight-round. The 6’0″ forward currently sits third in points for the Yale Hockey Academy U-17 team with 27 points in 15 games and has helped Yale keep pace in the tough CSSHL U-17 league. He looks like a great late-round pick that has the tools needed to make the WHL one day.
Jacob Goudreau
The Giants selected Jacob Goudreau out of the St. Albert’s Raiders U-18 program with their second eighth-round pick. Goudreau has done well so far this season, putting up 12 points in 21 games against tougher competition. He looks like an overall solid player that keeps getting better as the year goes on.
Ethan McEneany
The Giants went to Colorado to pick Ethan McEneany out of the Colorado Thunderbirds organization to finish off their Bantam Draft. The native of Tacoma, Washington, has nine points in eight games and should develop into a big-bodied forward that can play physically. A good selection to round out the group.
US Draft
Mikhail Levaniuk
With the 18th pick in the US Draft, the Giants selected Mikhail Levaniuk of the Delta Hockey Academy U-16 team. So far this season, he has four points and 22 minutes in 16 games. The good news is he is already playing in Canada, which should help steer him towards the WHL. He has good size and likes to play physically. Another player from the phenomenal Delta Hockey Academy.
Drake Murray
The Giants selected Drake Murray with the 27th overall pick of the US prospects draft. The native of Manhattan Beach, California, is another big, right-shot defenceman who knows how to put up points. He currently has 40 points in 31 games for the Shattuck St. Mary’s 16U AAA and has been above a point a game player for the last three seasons. This is definitely a player Giants fans should be excited for if they can get him to come and play in the WHL.
Overall, A Great Draft Class
At the end of the two days, it was clear the Giants did well. They stocked up on right-shot defenceman, picked up some physical forwards, added skill, and found a goaltender that looks WHL ready. Next season, it will be an exciting training camp as these players should put on a show in Lander come the summer.
