WHL Bantam Draft: Eight great draft day steals
In anticipation of the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft on April 22, we have put together a list of the eight of the greatest steals from WHL Bantam Drafts throughout the years. All eight players featured were selected in the sixth round or later of their respective WHL Bantam Draft, and went on to enjoy exceptional WHL careers before moving on to be dominant players in the NHL.
Kris Russell (Medicine Hat Tigers) – 2002 WHL Bantam Draft: Round 8, 138th
Kris Russell was selected by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the eighth round, 138th overall at the 2002 WHL Bantam Draft. He joined the Tigers as a 16-year-old for the 2003-04 season, pitching in 19 points (4G-15A) in 55 regular season games and adding three goals and two assists during the Tigers playoff run that ended in the Club’s first WHL Championship since 1988. Russell led all WHL defensemen with 26 goals during the 2004-05 season and was named the WHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player for two consecutive years starting in 2004-05, earning him the Brad Hornung Trophy.
Russell represented Team Canada at the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championships, taking home back-to-back gold medals. To cap off a memorable major junior career, Russell captained the Medicine Hat Tigers to their second WHL Championship in four years. He earned the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s Top Defenceman for the second consecutive year and once again led the WHL in goals by a defenceman with 32. Russell was named the CHL Defenceman of the Year and took home the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the WHL Player of the Year.
Russell was drafted in the third round, 67th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2005 NHL Draft. He signed an entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets in 2007 and joined the squad for the 2007-08 season. Russell’s 13-year NHL career has been spread between five clubs, and he is currently a member of the Edmonton Oilers. The two-time WHL Champion has appeared in 846 regular season NHL games, registering 46 goals and 190 assists for 236 points.
Braden Holtby (Saskatoon Blades) – 2004 WHL Bantam Draft: Round 9, 161st
The Saskatoon Blades used their ninth-round pick in the 2004 WHL Bantam Draft to select Braden Holtby 161st overall. After spending his minor hockey career in Lloydminster, Sask., Holtby joined the Saskatoon Blazers of the SMHL for the 2005-06 season. After a strong season with the Blazers and a good showing at training camp, Holtby cracked the Blades roster in 2005 and joined the club as a 17-year-old.
The Washington Capitals took Holtby in the fourth round, 93rd overall at the 2008 NHL Draft. Holtby had his best season in the WHL the following year, posting a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.62 and .910 save percentage in 61 appearances, and was named to the WHL’s Eastern Conference First All-Star Team for 2008-09.
After three solid seasons with the Blades, Holtby spent the 2009-10 campaign, his first professional season, between the Hershey Bears of the AHL and the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL. Holtby’s performance with the Bears during the 2010-11 season earned him 14 appearances with the Capitals, posting an impressive goals-against average (GAA) of 1.79 and .934 save percentage. It was not until the 2013-14 season that Holtby solidified a permanent spot on the Capitals roster. Holtby led the NHL in wins with 48 during the 2015-16 season, and won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie. He followed up next season by once again leading the league in wins with 42, along with adding a league-best nine shutouts. Holtby concluded the 2016-17 season by earning the Jennings Trophy for the NHL’s lowest goals-against average (GAA). In 2018-19, the five-time NHL All-Star helped the Washington Capitals capture their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Jordan Eberle (Regina Pats) – 2005 WHL Bantam Draft: Round 7, 126th
With the 126th pick in the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft, the Regina Pats selected hometown winger Jordan Eberle. The Saskatchewan native moved west with his family to play his first year of midget with the Calgary Buffaloes Midget AAA program before making his WHL debut with the Pats in the 2006-07 season. In his rookie campaign, Eberle led the Pats in goals with 28 while adding 27 assists for a total of 55 points. The 2007-08 season brought much of the same for Eberle, who tallied a team-high 42 goals and 75 points, while also bringing home the Doc Seaman Trophy as WHL Scholastic Player of the Year. The Edmonton Oilers selected Eberle 22nd overall in the 2008 NHL Draft.
Arguably the best player to wear a Team Canada jersey at the World Junior Championships, Eberle had great success in international competition, representing Canada at the 2009 and 2010 tournaments. In 12 WJC games, Eberle scored 14 goals and added 12 assists for 26 points and sits second to only Eric Lindros in Team Canada’s all-time scoring leaders at the World Juniors.
Eberle made his NHL debut with the Oilers on October 7, 2010, and recorded his first-career goal the same night. He spent seven seasons with the Oilers before being traded to the New York Islanders in 2017, where he has remained since. A 50-plus point scorer in more than half of his NHL seasons, Eberle has made his mark in the NHL as a winger who knows how to find the net.
Brendan Gallagher (Vancouver Giants) – 2007 WHL Bantam Draft: Round 9, 195th
Brendan Gallagher was drafted by the Vancouver Giants in the ninth round of the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft. After a productive season with South Delta Bantam AAA, Gallagher did not hear his name called until the 195th pick.
A native of Edmonton, Alta, Gallagher spent four seasons with the Giants, serving one season as the Club’s captain. Gallagher recorded 136 goals and 144 assists in 280 regular season games with the Giants and added 36 points (19G-17A) in 42 playoff appearances.
Selected in the fifth round, 147th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2010 NHL Draft, Gallagher has spent his entire NHL career with the Canadiens organization. He has put together 334 points (173G-161A) in 547 regular seasons games with the Canadiens and currently serves as one of the Club’s alternate captains.
Joel Edmundson (Moose Jaw Warriors) – 2008 WHL Bantam Draft: Round 6, 121st
With their sixth-round pick in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft, the Moose Jaw Warriors selected Joel Edmundson of the Brandon AAA Wheat Kings. Edmundson did not join the Warriors until his 17-year-old season, in which he put up two goals and 18 assists in 71 games. He remained a key component of the Warriors defensive core before being dealt to the Kamloops Blazers halfway through his third year in Moose Jaw.
Edmundson was selected in the second round (46th overall) by the St. Louis Blues in the 2011 NHL Draft. He spent his first two professional seasons with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League before joining the Blues for the 2015-16 season. Edmundson helped the Blues capture their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, defeating the Boston Bruins in the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals. Edmundson pitched in with a goal and seven assists during the Blues historic run. Prior to the start of the 2019-20 season, Edmundson was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, where he his point production has been his best to date, having collected 20 points (7G-13A) in 68 games.
Damon Severson (Kelowna Rockets) – 2009 WHL Bantam Draft: Round 9, 192nd
The Kelowna Rockets selected Damon Severson in the ninth round, 192nd overall, at the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft. The Saskatchewan native played five games as a 15-year-old before joining the Rockets for four full seasons. Severson manned the backend for the Rockets, putting together an impressive career total of 167 points (36G-131A) in 260 regular season games, while adding 32 points (9G-23A) in 39 post-season contests. In addition to his time with the Rockets, Severson represented Team Canada at both the U17 and U18 World Championships.
At the 2012 NHL Draft, Severson was selected in the second round, 60th overall by the New Jersey Devils. Since leaving the WHL, Severson has spent six seasons with the Devils, putting together 37 goals and 126 assists in 430 NHL games.
Brandon Carlo (Tri-City Americans) – 2010 WHL Bantam Draft: Round 10, 214th
The 2010 WHL Bantam Draft saw the Tri-City Americans select US-born Brandon Carlo in the 10th round, 214th overall. Prior to making the move to the West Coast, Carlo played his Bantam and Midget seasons with the Colorado Thunderbirds of T1EHL.
He made his Western Hockey League debut during the 2013-14 season with the Americans, and would spend his entire junior career with Tri-City. Carlo was named to the Americans leadership team ahead of the 2014-15 seasons and donned an ‘A’ on his sweater for his last two seasons with the Club. The industrious defensemen represented the United States at back-to-back World Junior Championship tournaments, taking home a bronze medal in 2016.
The Boston Bruins selected Carlo with the 37th pick in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. Carlo’s four seasons with the Bruins have seen him put up 51 points (12G-39A) in 297 games, and he added to his resume with a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019.
Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips) – 2013 WHL Bantam Draft: Round 8, 158th
Carter Hart did not hear his name called until the eighth round of the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft, when the Everett Silvertips used the 158th pick on the Alberta-born netminder. Nearing the end of his first season in Midget, Hart was called up by the Silvertips to make his WHL debut as a 15-year-old. The Sherwood Park, Alta. native went on to have a record-breaking career with the Silvertips, which included back-to-back-to-back WHL Goaltender of the Year honours from 2015-16 to 2017-18. In addition to his WHL Goaltender of the Year honours, Hart was named the CHL’s Top Goaltender for the 2015-16 and 2017-18 seasons. He also led the WHL in goals-against average (GAA) for three seasons and was named to the WHL’s Western Conference First All-Star Team for three consecutive years. Hart’s long list of accolades includes World Junior Championship Gold and Silver medals from the 2018 and 2017 tournaments, respectively.
Ranked by the NHL’s Central Scouting Service as the second-best North American goalie, Hart was the first netminder selected at the 2016 NHL Draft when the Philadelphia Flyers called his name with the 48th pick. Hart started his first professional season with the Flyers AHL affiliate – the Lehigh Valley Phantoms – but was recalled in December 2018 due to an injury. Hart made his NHL debut on December 18, 2018 in a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, becoming the youngest goalie in Flyers history to win his NHL debut. Hart started the 2019-20 season as the Flyers go-to guy between the pipes and had a GAA of 2.42 and a.914 save percentage in 43 games before the NHL’s pause on the season.
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