Giants sign first round pick Chorney to WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement
Vancouver, B.C. – The Vancouver Giants are thrilled to announce the signing of 2009-born forward Blake Chorney (Nipawin, SK) to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.
Chorney, who celebrated his 15th birthday on May 13, was the Giants first-round pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft earlier this month, 10th overall.
The 5-foot-11, 182 lb. forward was a dominating force for Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX) this past season, helping the program secure their second consecutive U15 Prep Western Championship in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) with five goals and seven assists for 12 points in five playoff games. His 12 playoff points were second amongst all skaters in the U15 Prep division, trailing only teammate Jaggar John.
Chorney recorded 19 goals and 23 assists for 42 points in 24 games in the regular season, which were second on a very deep NAX team and just outside the top-10 in the U15 Prep division.
“As an organization, we are thrilled to see Blake sign the Education and Development Agreement with the Vancouver Giants,” Giants General Manager Barclay Parneta said. “His talent, work ethic and dedication make him a great fit for our team. We believe he will be a key contributor to our success in the future.”
The left-shot forward also scored four shorthanded goals during the 2023-24 season, which tied for the most in the U15 Prep division.
“I would like to thank my family and friends who have supported me to get to this point,” Chorney said. “I’m extremely thankful to be able to put this Giants jersey on and can’t wait to suit up for the G-Men in the future.”
Prior to attending NAX for the 2023-24 season, Chorney played for the Lloydminster Athletics U14, where he produced 42 goals and 77 points in 32 games in 2022-23.
The Nipawin, Sask. product will play for the Saskatoon Blazers in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League for the 2024-25 season, who have won back-to-back league championships.
The Vancouver Giants would like to extend a warm welcome to Blake and his family.
“I expected him to go earlier than this.”
On Neutral Zone’s Final Rankings for the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, Chorney was ranked third overall. Neutral Zone provides in-depth amateur scouting coverage and rankings for leagues across North America.
“I don’t see any holes in his game,” Neutral Zone’s Dir. of Scouting Brendan Collins said during NZ’s live YouTube stream of the prospects draft. “This kid’s got power. He can play with finesse. He can shoot. He can score in tight. He can score from the outside. He can protect pucks along the wall. He can win 50/50 battles. Everything on my notes was just a different sentence every time.
“I think Blake Chorney has the ability to play anywhere in the lineup. He’s got a good, athletic frame. I think this kid has got serious upside. I’m surprised he went at 10.”
Neutral Zone’s Dir. of Scouting for Western Canada James McGuigan called him a Swiss-army knife and also spoke highly of Chorney’s character off the ice.
“I know the kid personally and he is not just an outstanding player, but he’s an outstanding human being,” McGuigan said. “I expected him to go earlier than this. Him going at 10, Vancouver is getting a diamond in the rough here.”
Puck Preps is another amateur scouting website that spoke highly of the Chorney selection.
“He’s a player that always loves to put himself into positions where he can score goals. He’s big, strong on the puck, he’s confident,” Puck Preps Dir. of Scouting Joel Henderson said during a live audio stream of the draft on X. “He’s a guy that curls off the half-wall into space…he has a really heavy shot release. He can shoot it across his body. He’s a player that really does well with a tandem.”
