On Thursday, hundreds of teenage kids heard their names called by a Western Hockey League (WHL) organization, as part of their yearly bantam draft.
A handful of those players are coming from the northeast, as they all hail from the same club.
The U15 AA Humboldt Broncos produced a total of five players who were selected in the draft, two of which went in the first round, while the other three went in rounds three, four, and five.
Lee Hamilton, head coach for the Broncos’ squad, told northeastNOW it was a cherry on top for a team that won a league and provincial championship.
“It’s huge, first and foremost, we’re just very proud of the kids for the year they had, obviously to have five kids get drafted is a big deal. We put a lot of time in the kids and the families had a big commitment. It paid off and the kids put a lot of hard work in and a lot of the credit goes to them with their work ethic.”
Dayne Bueker was the first Bronco to be drafted as he went 14th overall to the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
The Humboldt product posted 47 goals and 56 assists, good for 103 points, in just 30 games this past season while adding 28 more points (11g, 17a) in nine playoff appearances.
“Dayne is an elite offensive player that just does everything well on the ice. He’s got a great shot, as his release is second to none, and he sees the ice really well. Great speed, great hockey IQ, moves the puck really well and is just honestly an all-around great talent. He was also our team captain and a great leader for us,” said Hamilton.
Next up was Beckett Hamilton, who went 18th overall to the Red Deer Rebels.
The Saskatoon-born center finished second in scoring, behind Beuker, with 83 points (39g, 44a) in 29 games. He also led the team in the points department during the postseason, scoring 21 goals and 12 assists in nine games.
“Beckett is also a very skilled player, good skater and good shooter as well. He really turned it on the last couple of months of the season and had a really good playoffs for us, scoring some real key goals. He just seemed to really kind of get a lot of confidence in the last few months of the season and that was reflected in his playoff production,” added Hamilton.
Meanwhile, Cohen Harris went in the third round, 47th overall to the Spokane Chiefs.
The Humboldt product rounded out the top three scorers for the U15 Broncos team, finishing the season with 38 goals and 41 assists in 30 games while tagging another eight goals and 17 assists in the playoffs.
“Those three have got a lot of similarities as far as their skill levels and their shooting ability and their shiftiness on the ice. Cohen’s a little bit smaller than the other two, but a really shifty and quick player who shoots the puck really well and is just an all-around really skilled player,” Hamilton explained.
As for Cameron Jacobson, he was the only d-man among the group to be drafted, going in the fourth round, 80th overall.
Hailing from Wakaw, the blueliner tallied eight goals and 33 assists in 29 games while scoring another two goals and nine assists in the postseason.
“He played a ton for us in all situations. Really good skater guy and probably one of the best-passing defensemen in the whole league. Good mobility, good feet, doesn’t get beat one on one, and really was a calming influence for us whenever he was on the ice,” Hamilton mentioned.
And finally, Ethan Hamilton was taken off the board 103rd overall to the Cougars in the fifth round.
The left winger from Lanigan ended last season with 14 goals and 13 assists in 21 regular season games, while in the playoffs adding five goals in six games.
“Ethan’s a great skater, with great work ethic. Probably one of the fastest guys in the league, a straight line up and down the wing. Same thing he shoots well, he’s a strong kid, and just a great leader.”
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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com
On Twitter @BenTompkins_8
