Daily Dose

Daily Dose of the Dub: 28 WHLers selected in NHL Entry Draft and more

Written by Ben Dooley on

28 WHLers selected in 2019 NHL Entry Draft

The NHL Entry Draft concluded on Saturday in Vancouver with a total of 28 WHL players selected in the draft. The group was led by Saskatoon Blades forward Kirby Dach who was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the third overall pick and was rounded out by Everett Silvertips goaltender Dustin Wolf who was selected with the 214th overall pick by the Calgary Flames. The Seattle Thunderbirds led the way with four players selected (Dillon Hamaliuk (traded to Kelowna in off-season) – San Jose Sharks, Henrik Rybinski – Florida Panthers, Roddy Ross – Philadelphia Flyers, Matthew Wedman – Florida Panthers) while for the first time in 30 years, the Red Deer Rebels did not have a player selected in the NHL Entry Draft.

Leason wins E.J. McGuire Award

Prince Albert Raiders forward Brett Leason received the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence at this year’s NHL Draft. The award is given to the player who shows a commitment to excellence through character, competitiveness, and athleticism. Leason had gone undrafted in two previous drafts where he was eligible before being selected by the Washington Capitals with a second-round pick, 56th overall. This year with Prince Albert Leason had 36 goals and 53 assists in 55 games earning himself a spot on Team Canada’s World Junior Hockey Championship team where he had three goals and two assists in five games.

Thunderbirds alumni Marleau traded to Hurricanes

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded Patrick Marleau (143 GP, 83 G, 116 A with the Seattle Thunderbirds), a conditional first round pick in 2020 and a seventh-round pick in 2020 to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2020 sixth-round pick. It is expected the Hurricanes will buy-out the last year of his contract and that will become a free agent on July 1st.

Quenneville traded to Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired forward John Quenneville (222 GP, 81 G, 116 with the Brandon Wheat Kings) from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward John Hayden. Quenneville, now 23, was part of the 2015-16 Brandon Wheat Kings team that won the WHL Championship, leading the WHL playoffs with 16 goals. He was originally selected by New Jersey in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and had played 33 games for them, scoring two goals and adding three assists.

Stovin joins Dundee Stars 

Brett Stovin (263 GP, 68 G, 58 A with the Saskatoon Blades) has signed with the Dundee Stars of the EIHL on a one-year contract. Stovin recently finished up his schooling at the University of Manitoba. Last season he had seven goals and seven assists in 22 games while playing University hockey.