2008 WHL Bantam Draft Approaching

With the upcoming Bantam Draft being one of the Western Hockey League's most anticipated off-ice events, both fans and young hockey stars across Western Canada and the United States will be tuning in with great enthusiasm.

While the team's success on the ice can be directly linked to the success of each team's drafting abilities, many top WHL players have emerged only after being surpassed in the draft and being listed by their respected teams.

The WHL Bantam Draft is set for Thursday, May 1st in Calgary with the Red Deer Rebels holding the 1st overall pick. The Medicine Hat Tigers will pick 16th overall, their highest in most recent years.

Twice since 1998 the Tigers have held the 1st Overall Pick. Both Jay Bouwmeester (1998) and Ryan Hollweg (1999) have gone onto star with the Medicine Hat Tigers and are currently applying their hockey skills in the National Hockey League.

Between 1998 and 2006, eight 1st Round Picks have played with the Medicine Hat Tigers, with all but one (Jordie Deagle – 2004) having made an impact for the Tigers. Deagle was traded to the Prince George Cougars at the start of the 2006-07 WHL season.

Pressure to achieve success during the drafting process is equally as high for scouts as is finding those players who slip off the draft charts. Over the years, many teams have listed players that have gone undrafted and gone onto both successful WHL and professional careers.

Recent leading scorers for the Tigers, Tyler Ennis and Joffrey Lupul were both acquired as listed players for Medicine Hat, along with the likes of Clarke MacArthur, Darren Reid, Chris Stevens and Derek Dorsett – all of whom had successful careers in the WHL and have gone onto play at the professional ranks.

Last season saw the Tigers ice a squad that included 12 Tiger – WHL Bantam / CHL Import Draft picks, seven players via trade and six players who were listed by the Tigers scouting and coaching staff.

Here is a look at how the Tigers 2007-08 squad was built:

*Playoff roster consisted of 25 players

Trades:
#3 – Patrick Kozyra – From Red Deer Rebels – Drafted 2004 (Rebels – 4th Round)
#12 – Colton Grant – From Tri-Cities Americans – Drafted 2004 (Americans – 2nd Round)
#18 – Thomas Frazee – From Portland Winter Hawks- Drafted 2005 (Winter Hawks – 1st Round)
#19 – Yashar Farmanara – From Lethbridge Hurricanes – Drafted 2002 (Seattle Thunderbirds – 7th Round)
#20 – Travis Dunstall – From Kamloops Blazers – Drafted 2004 (Blazers – 1st Round)
#21 – Jerrid Sauer – From Swift Current Broncos – Drafted 2002 (Broncos – 6th Round)
#36 – Wacey Hamilton – From Vancouver Giants – Never Drafted

Listed (Never Drafted):
#6 – Matthew Konan – Listed
#11 – Taylor Gal – Listed – Originally drafted 2005 (Calgary).
#14 – John Stampohar – Listed
#16 – Daine Todd – Listed
#17 – Sean Ringrose – Listed
#22 – Tyler Ennis – Listed

WHL Bantam Draft Picks
#7 – Cody Carlson – 1st Round (21st overall) – 2006
#9 – Brennan Bosch – 10th Round (190th overall) – 2003
#15 – Linden Vey – 2nd Round (42nd overall) – 2006
#23 – Jordan Hickmott – 1st Round (18th overall) – 2005
#24 – Mark Isherwood – 5th Round (81st overall) – 2004
#27 – Shayne Brown – 11th Round (219th overall) – 2004
#28 – Bretton Cameron – 6th Round (119th overall) – 2004
#29 – Jordan Bendfeld – 4th Round (70th overall) – 2003
#30 – Tyler Bunz – 1st Round (21st overall) – 2007
#31 – Ryan Holfeld – 5th Round (99th overall) – 2004

CHL Import Draft
#25 – Mikael Ahlen – 2007
#33 – Tomas Vosvrda – 2007

In comparison, the Tigers 2007 WHL Championship team, consisting of 24 players, was compiled from 14 Tiger – WHL Bantam / CHL Import Draft picks, five players via trade and five players that were listed by the Tigers scouting and coaching staff. The Tigers' 22 man squad that captured the 2004 WHL Championship was put together from 11 players via the WHL Bantam Draft and 11 players that were either listed or acquired by trade.

Of note, both Tiger players named as WHL Playoff MVP during those Championship seasons – Goaltenders Matt Keetley and Kevin Nastiuk – were never drafted and were listed by the Tigers.

Over the year's the WHL has many highly touted WHL Draft picks, including most recent picks Colton Gillies, Zach Hamill, Gilbert Brule and Cam Barker, who all went on to be 1st Round National Hockey League Draft Picks. On the other hand, players never earning WHL Bantam Draft accolades that were NHL 1st Round Draft picks include former Tigers' star Joffrey Lupul and former Calgary Hitmen forward Andrew Ladd.

About the WHL Bantam Draft: The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the teams of the Western Hockey League select players who have graduated from bantam. The draft's order of selection depends on where the team finishes in the league standings. The teams that miss the playoffs are placed into a lottery for the 1st round only. After the 1st round, the teams select in order from fewest to most regular season points.

Players eligible for the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft will be 1993-born players who reside in Alberta, B.C., Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.