Capton’s long wait pays off for Wheat Kings
(Courtesy of Perry Bergson, The Brandon Sun)
Carter Capton admits that the Western Hockey League’s bantam draft was a bit of an uncomfortable day.
The six-foot-one, 182-pound netminder from Lethbridge, Alta., was the top-ranked goalie on Draftgeeks and Western Elite Hockey Prospects. The Brandon Wheat Kings pounced when he was still on the board in the fifth round, taking him 96th overall.
“I was getting a little nervous on draft day,” Capton said with a chuckle. “I’d been working the last 10 months to get this point and it was a big relief to see my name get picked by such a great organization. I’m just happy to be a Wheat King.”
Brandon assistant general manager and head scout Doug Gasper was delighted the big netminder was available.
“He’s a goaltender who we really liked all year,” Gasper said on draft day. “We were quite surprised that he was still available for us … He’s a gamer who plays all the big games for Yale.
“He moves extremely well, he’s quick, for a big man he’s on his feet quickly and he covers a lot of angles. He’s a real solid goaltender for us. We’re real excited about that pick.”
In 16 games with the Yale bantam prep team, Capton posted a 2.25 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.
He first started skating very early and quickly fell for the game.
“I’ve always loved hockey and I’ve always played it,” said Capton, who turns 15 in July.
He went back into the net for good in his first year of novice after rotating in and out in initiation hockey.
“I always thought it was a neat position,” Capton said. “You’re the hero or the zero, you get to play in the big games and you get to play the full 60 minutes.”
Capton, who will compete on Yale’s under-17 team next winter, comes by his talent honestly. His father Clint also played, winning a pair of senior hockey titles in a row.
Since he lives in a WHL city, Capton is no stranger to the league. He said he has seen a lot of Hurricanes games and enjoys watching how hard players work at that level.
“I’ve always wanted to play in the WHL,” Capton said. “At young age I wasn’t very good but I’ve put a lot of hard work into training and on-ice sessions and all of a sudden I made the AAA team as a first-year player, which gave me a big boost. I had a very successful season last year and so did the team at Yale.”
He said attending Yale, which is located in Abbotsford, B.C., and competing in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League has done a lot to build him as a player.
“It’s improved my game tons, from the coaching staff to the teammates,” Capton said. “It’s been all good. I’ve been really challenged shots-wise and with the speed and physicality of the game and probably the compete level of the CSSHL.”
As he tries to move up into the league, he said he has some strengths he can build on.
“Being a big body, I use my size to my advantage,” Capton said. “For a big guy, I’m quick with my edges — some guys are quick slow who are big — and I feel I’ve been working on asking for a long time and that’s probably one of my biggest attributes. I’m a good puck handler and I cover a lot of the net.”
Like most goalies, he’s aware of what he can get better at as well. He said he needs to make better decisions with the puck and communicate more effectively with his defencemen.
He added he understands it’s a huge jump to the WHL.
“I definitely have to improve everything from skating to stopping the puck and visual stuff and mental stuff,” Capton said. “Everything needs to take a step up.”
Capton is a talented multisport athlete. He played baseball for the last seven years, mostly in the infield and pitching.
“I enjoy it tons,” Capton said. “It’s a great outdoor sport in the sun. I’ve been on the AAA team for four or five years in a row now and been to two national championships in back-to-back years. I love the sport.”
Coincidentally, current Wheat King Ridly Greig, who is also from Lethbridge, was an elite baseball player as well.
Capton is eager to come to Brandon in August for rookie camp, where he’ll get his first look at his fellow prospects, plus a chance to meet the first current Wheat King who reached out to him after the draft, Yale alumnus Jake Chiasson.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Capton said. “I’m definitely itching to get back on the ice. When camp comes I’ll be over-the-moon excited and ready to see what the WHL is like.”
