Draft Recap: Rebels confident latest selections will pay off
By DANNY RODE
The future of the Red Deer Rebels defence received a boost Thursday at the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft.
The Rebels drafted right-shot rearguard Graeme Pickering of St. Adolphe, MB, and the Rink Hockey Academy in Winnipeg 15th overall in the opening round.
Pickering, listed at five-foot-nine and 144-pounds, is an offensive skilled rearguard who collected 36 points on seven goals and 29 assists in 27 games this season with the Rink Hockey Academy Winnipeg’s U15 Prep program.
Graeme was on the road with his family heading to the Team Manitoba tryouts when he got word of his selection.
“We had a TV set up in the back of our van while we were driving and watching … an exciting time,” he shared.
Pickering, who turned 15 on March 22, had talked with the Rebels but had no idea going into Thursday who’d be drafting him.
“Once I heard them call my name, I was really excited,” he said, adding he felt he had the skill to be picked early in the draft.
“I’ve always known I’m pretty skilled and can see the game. But I didn’t know where I could go, but felt I had the potential to be a skilled player.”
Pickering’s dad, Tom, pushed him to be a defenceman from an early age.
“He felt it was a good idea to start me off as a defenceman so I could learn the defensive side of the game and I’ve been there ever since.”
Graeme sees himself as a two-way defenceman who “likes to jump into the rush but know I can get back … and also feel I’m strong defensively.”
Those abilities impressed Rebels Associated GM Shaun Sutter.
“He’s got some offence with his shot and puck moving ability. He plays hard, defends hard and has a natural mean streak to him,” Sutter said following the draft.
“He also has some lineage to him with his brother and sister really good hockey players.”
Graeme’s brother, Owen, is captain of the Swift Current Broncos and a Pittsburgh Penguins prospect. His sister Avery was the youngest player in the NCAA with Colgate. Graeme is also a cousin of Moose Jaw Warriors captain and star defencemen Denton Mateychuk, who is the WHL Defenceman of the Year and a Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick.
Sutter believes Pickering will continue to grow before he arrives as a full-time player for the 2025-26 season.
“There’s height in his family so we believe he will grow and be a really good player for us.”
The Rebels have drafted a number of players from Manitoba over the years.
“I know a couple of guys in the RHA U18 program,” said Pickering, who feels the Rink Academy has been a big help in his development.
“I think it really helped me in a lot of different ways. They have the resources and helped me get stronger.”
The Rebels made a trade with Victoria, moving up from 37th to 30th to select Cash Arcand-Vandale. They switched places with Victoria and also gave them the 77th overall pick.
Arcand-Vandale, from Saskatoon, had a strong season with the Saskatoon Bandits U15AA team, scoring 30 goals and 27 assists in 27 games. He had an outstanding playoff as in three games he had six goals and six helpers.
“We felt way the draft had fell if there was a player, in particular a forward after picking a defenceman, who we rated highly we’d be aggressive and move up to get him,” explained Sutter.
“We had Cash highly rated. We felt he was kind of a late first round pick. He’s a long guy with real good tools.
“He played a number of different positions. He played as an underage last year and was one of the better underage players,” continued Sutter. “He played on a weaker team this year so we think he has a lot of potential and a high ceiling which is why we moved up to get him … it was like we had two first round picks.”
The Rebels didn’t have a third, fourth or seventh round pick on Thursday, but Sutter likes what he sees from the club’s draft class.
“Kudos to our scouting staff. Between phone calls, sitting in cold rinks and everything like that … all the travel, there’s a lot of blood sweat and tears, so to speak. A big day for them and proud of the guys and all the work they put in.
The didn’t have their third round pick, but felt Forrest Karlson, who they selected 98th overall in the fifth round, could have been a third rounder.
“If we had a third round pick we would have drafted him,” said Sutter.
Karlson, a native of Dauphin, MB., played with the Pilot Mound Hockey Academy, scoring 18 goals and 24 assists in 27 games.
“Forrest has good size (six-foot, 170-pounds) and moves well,” said Sutter. “He played on a weak team this year so that’s probably a reason he slipped a bit. But for us he was one of the top players in Manitoba. A big centre, who has skill and hardness to his game. He’s a two-way player, an all-round forward who can bring some offence … an under the radar type player.”
Sutter believes all the team’s selections have a shot at one day playing in the league.
“They all have skill and ability. Now it’s up to them to be the next Arshdeep Bains or Brandon Hagel.”
Other selects were:
Luke Jamieson (Round 6, 124th; RW, 5’7”, 160; from Calgary, Edge School U15 Prep; 14G,12A, 27GP)
“He played on a really talented Edge team with a lot of good forwards. He has good finish, a precision shooter with focus, good instincts on both offence and defence. Good lineage as his brother players for Everett.”
Zach Schwartz (R8 LW, 5’9” 144; Edmonton, OHA Edmonton U15 Prep; 9G, 21A, 27GP)
“A real hard worker who skates well and has good energy and tenacity in that he’s always in the middle of things. Potential to be a top 9 forward who can kill penalties, reminds me of Talon Brigley. Also has good lineage with his father the goalie coach with the Edmonton Oilers (and former Rebels netminder Dustin Schwartz).”
Seth Gutenberg (R9, G, 5”11”, 145; Saskatoon, Saskatoon Outlaws U15AA, 4.43GAA, .906 save percentage, 18 GP)
‘He has a high ceiling. He’ll play U18 in Warman next year, one of the few goalies in his age group who will play U18. We like our stable of goalies so if we were picking a goalie late we’d shoot for the moon.”
Joshua Skrypnyk (R10, 214;C/RW, 5’7”, 122; Regina, Regina Pat Blues U15AA; 27G, 51A, 27GP)
“He played on one of the best lines at that age group with Maddox Schultz, who could go number one next year, and Chase Surkan, who was Brandon’s first round pick this year. He played right wing on that line and was under the radar. He has good hockey sense, a good brain to produce offence. We hope he’s a sleeper-type player.”
Maddon Woo (R11, 258; LD, 5’11”, 154; Leduc, Northern Alberta Xtreme U15 Prep; 1G, 11A, 26GP)
“He has good tools and a good body and frame, Will be a tall has some puck moving ability who just needs to keep improving.”
Logan Alexis (R12, 258; RD, 6’3”, 205; Calgary, Rink Academy Kelowna, 5G, 9A, 25GP)
“A huge player with good ability. A bit inconsistent as some events he was really good and some he needed to improve. He has a high ceiling, a wild card player. Once he figures some things out he has a chance to be a big presence out there.”
Declan Cardiff (R13, 280; LW, 5’7”, 140; Calgary, Edge School U15 Prep, 9g, 20a, 26GP)
“Declan was overshadowed on a deep Edge team. When had the opportunity to play with better players we saw some good hockey sense and skill. In late rounds you try to find some diamonds in the rough, so we decided to roll the dice.”
Meanwhile seven central Albertans were also selected by teams across the league Thursday, led by forward Brock England, who went 11th overall to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
England, who played two years ago with the Red Deer Rebels U15 AAA, spent this past season with the Edge School U15 Prep program.
The remaining six players are all from the Red Deer U15AAA Rebels.
Centre Crew Martinson of Olds, went second in the second round to the Tri-City Americans, and a player the Rebels were definitely interested in, goalie Drake Mooney of Blackfalds, went to the Regina Pats with the 82nd pick in the fourth round.
Defenceman Finn Kelly of Rimbey, son of former Rebels forward Diarmuid, went in the fifth round, 102nd overall to Lethbridge), Lucas Graham of Red Deer went in the sixth round, 119th to Victoria, and Brock Dingman of Carstairs went in the sixth round, 121st to Vancouver.
Forward Tayte Hoiland of Rocky Mountain House went to Medicine Hat 181st in the ninth round.
