Everett Silvertips Bantam Draft Preview
Everett Silvertips executives and scouts have gathered in Calgary, Alberta this week to identify the next crop of future Silvertips stars at the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft on Thursday. This year’s draft-eligible WHL prospects are graduating Bantam-aged players born in the year 2000 from Western Canada and the Western United States.
CLICK HERE for a preview of the Silvertips’ 2015 Bantam Draft with General Manager Garry Davidson.
Although the Silvertips do not currently hold a first-round choice after sending the 19th overall selection to the Saskatoon Blades in exchange for Nikita Scherbak in September, Everett is still slated to make nine picks between the second and sixth rounds thanks to series of other deals. The ‘Tips will make their own selection in the second and third rounds before picking twice in the fourth and fifth rounds and three times in the sixth round.
“We’ve got a lot of picks in the middle rounds, which we hope will translate into players that will project very well as Western Hockey League players,” said General Manager Garry Davidson. “Every year there are good hockey players. This year may be a little thinner at the top end with franchise-type guys, but certainly it’s still a good draft with lots of good players. When we get to the second round and it’s time for our first pick, we’re hoping that one of the players we’ve rate higher is still there and available.”
With Davidson and Director of Player Personnel Bil La Forge heading up an experienced group of scouts, the Silvertips have built a strong contingent of current and future WHL stars in recent drafts. Six of Everett’s first seven picks from the 2012 bantam draft have become full-time WHL players, four of whom (Kevin Davis, Matt Fonteyne, Noah Juulsen and Patrick Bajkov) made the ‘Tips roster as 16-year-olds. The Silvertips used their second-round choice in 2012 to select star forward Auston Matthews, a top prospect for the 2016 NHL Draft who will soon decide whether to further his career via the WHL or the NCAA.
Everett found a gem in the eighth round of the 2013 draft in goaltender Carter Hart and could still land two other top players from that draft who are projected early NHL Draft picks: forwards Tyson Jost and Patrick Khodorenko. The ‘Tips selected a record 15 players in last year’s Bantam Draft, three of whom have already signed with the club with a number of others considered to have bright futures.
Log on to EverettSilvertips.com or follow @WHLSilvertips on Twitter starting at 7:30 Thursday morning for our live coverage of the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft. Live streaming video of the first round will be available at WHL.ca starting at 7:30 am PDT.
2015 Silvertips Bantam Draft Selections
Round Pick # Notes
Round 1 N/A
Round 2 #41
Round 3 #63
Round 4 #68 from Lethbridge (for Zane Jones)
#80 from Red Deer (for Tyler Sandhu), originally Regina’s pick
Round 5 #89 from Saskatoon (for Ayrton Nikkel)
#107
Round 6 #118 from Moose Jaw (for Austin Adam)
#121 from Edmonton (for Reid Petryk)
#129
Round 7 #151
Round 8 #173
Round 9 #195
Round 10 #217
Round 11 #239
Round 12 #261
Round 13 #283
To keep up with all the latest Silvertips news and information throughout the offseason, visit www.everettsilvertips.com, “like” the Everett Silvertips Hockey Club on Facebook or follow @WHLSilvertips on Twitter.
