In competitive sports, it is vitally important to always be looking carefully beyond the horizon. The Edmonton Oil Kings have a lot of quality prospects in their system. The 2019 WHL Bantam Draft brought in some great talent for the future.
Let’s check in with Oil Kings prospects of the 2019 draft and see how their 2019-2020 seasons went:
Caleb Reimer
The Oil Kings top pick of the 2019 Bantam Draft is a big, skilled centerman. Reimer, who stands six-foot-two and weighs 161-pounds, was taken 18th overall in the first round. He spent all of the 2019-20 season playing for Delta Hockey Academy U18 Prep, where he notched 35 points in 36 regular-season games and added another assist in one postseason contest.
Reimer signed a WHL Standard Player Agreement back in 2019. Earlier in 2020, he was also invited to Hockey Canada’s U17 camp for the 2020 World U17 Hockey Challenge. He is a key piece of the Oil Kings’ future. We almost certainly will see Reimer suit up for the blue and gold this WHL season, whenever that may be.
Ross Stanley
Blueline needs for the future were addressed when the Oil Kings selected defenseman Ross Stanley in the second round, 40th overall. Stanley played for the Okanagan Hockey Academy Edmonton Prep team and accumulated seven assists in 24 regular-season games.
Stanley put ink to paper on a WHL Standard Player Agreement in 2019. He represents a promising part of the Oil Kings’ future and will be seeing game action in the WHL very soon.
Kolby Hay
With their third-round pick, 62nd overall, the Oil Kings decided to target the blue paint, selecting goaltender Kolby Hay. He played for Yale Hockey Academy Prep in 2019-20 and had a .897 save percentage in 18 games.
William Yee
The Oil Kings added to their organizational depth on the blue line by taking Yee in the fourth round, 73rd overall. Yee played for St. Georges School U18 Prep in 2019-20 and scored 16 points in 36 games. He was also named to the CSSHL U18 All-Academic Team to cap off a successful season.
Eric Johnston
The team kept the magnifying glass focused on defence for one more pick as they loaded up with another young defender. Johnston was selected in the sixth round, 126th overall. In 2019-20, he played for the Regina Pat Canadians U18 AAA team and posted 17 points in 42 games. In six playoff contests, he notched two assists.
Shea Van Olm
It was time to shift the focus back to forward positions for Edmonton. Van Olm was snagged by the Oil Kings in the sixth round, 128th overall. He played for NWCAA Stampeders U16 AAA team of the AMMHL and scored an impressive 60 points in 35 games. Perhaps this isn’t an amazing stat to glorify, but it is at least notable to mention that Van Olm played with an edge, and was the most penalized player in the AMMHL with 147 penalty minutes in 2019-20.
Earlier in 2020, the Oil Kings signed Van Olm to a WHL Standard Player Agreement. After a brilliant season of development in the AMMHL, he looks to be drawing closer to the next level.
Kylynn Olafson
Olafson is a forward who was selected in the seventh round, 150th overall by Edmonton. He played all of 2019-20 with the Tisdale Trojans U18 AAA team, where he tallied 19 points in 39 games and 30 penalty minutes.
Flynn Maxcy
The team continued to add to their position down the middle with Maxcy going to the Oil Kings in the ninth round, 194th overall. A local product of Edmonton, Maxcy played in the AMHL for the Knights of Columbus Pats in 2019-20. He scored 17 points in 32 games for the club.
A bright future for Edmonton
The Oil Kings have a wealth of talent in their cupboards for the foreseeable future. There is an intriguing group of talented prospects on this list. It pays to think ahead, but not too far.
So far, so good for all players on this list, who have fared well during the most recent 2019-20 hockey season. The 2020-21 season will be a pivotal period for development and progress. Only time will tell how each of their paths pans out, whether it be destined with the Oil Kings or elsewhere.
