Chiefs Get Speedy Center In Bantams
The Spokane Chiefs opted for a small center with giant potential Thursday in the first round of the Western Hockey League bantam draft.
Picking ninth in the draft of 1982-born players, the Chiefs went for swift Mason Wallin, a 5-9, 160-pounder from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
A left-handed shooter, Wallin is described as having better than Ray Whitney-type speed by club officials gathered at draft headquarters in Calgary.
“He’s as dynamic as any player we’ve ever selected in the draft,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said. “He has great speed, great skill, a guy who can bring you out of your seat.”
Rather than compare him to the 5-9 Whitney, who starred in the Chiefs’ championship season of ‘91, head scout Ray Dudra compares Wallin to Seattle Thunderbirds star Patrick Marleau at comparable ages.
“Marleau at 14 was a 5-10 guy (who grew to 6-1, 180 before he was 17),” Dudra said. “They’re very similar at similar stages of their development. Both can really put the puck in the net.”
The Chiefs had no second-round pick - they gave it up two years ago in the deal that sent Bryan McCabe to Brandon for defenseman Adam Magarrell.
Spokane traded one of its three third-round picks to Saskatoon to move up 18 spots in the June Import Player Draft. The Chiefs can pick up an impact player early in that draft, whereas this crop of bantam draftees can appear in only five games with their WHL clubs next season, as 15-year-olds.
The Chiefs sent a third-round pick to Saskatoon for the Blades’ third-round pick in ‘98. The clubs also swapped positions in this year’s import draft, moving the Chiefs from 26th to eighth.
Spokane selected defenseman Kris Callaway of North Vancouver, British Columbia, with the first of its third-round choices. Calloway, 6-1, 165 pounds, was the 38th choice of the draft.
Later in the third, the Chiefs added left wing Matt Lukowich, 5-11, 175, from Cranbrook, British Columbia. Lukowich is the brother of former Kamloops Blazers star defenseman Brad Lukowich and son of ex-NHL player Bernie Lukowich.
The Tri-City Americans, picking fourth, in the first round, wound up with the player some expected to be the first pick, 6-1 center Eric Johansson from Edmonton.
Johansson’s hometown team, the Edmonton Ice, passed on him, leading off instead with right wing Jarrett Stoll of Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Stoll had 81 goals with 86 assists for the Yorkton Terriers.
Calgary used the second pick on Michale Bubnick, 6-2, 190-pound right wing from Esterhazy, Saskatchewan.
Saskatoon, picking third, added left wing/center Adrian Foster of Calgary.
Spokane had three picks in the fifth round. The Chiefs used them to select defenseman Tyler Procyshyn from Aberdeen, Saskatchewan, defenseman Skip Renauld of Regina and left wing Tim Krymusa, also of Regina.
Other Spokane choices:
Sixth round - Cameron Polski, left wing, Calgary; Seventh - Patrick Richards, goaltender, Calgary; Eighth - Jeremy Farr, defenseman, Airdrie, Alberta; Ninth - Troy Boisjoli, right wing, Glidden, Saskatchewan; 10th - Chris Barr, defenseman, Nipawin, Saskatchewan.
The club also wound up with three 1980-born U.S. high school players - Bill Cass, defenseman, Higham, Mass., 10th round; left wing Brian Sojnstrom (hometown unavailable) 11th round, and goaltender Rob Anderson, Superior, Wis., 12th round.
WHL finals begin
Seattle meets the Lethbridge Hurricanes in tonight’s first game of the WHL finals.
Tonight’s and Saturday night’s games are in Lethbridge. The third and fourth games - Tuesday and Wednesday nights - are in Seattle. The winner goes to the four-team Memorial Cup tournament in Hull, Quebec.
Lethbridge has turned to former Chiefs backup goaltender Blaine Russell as its playoff starter. Russell started and lost one game in Spokane in the ‘95-96 season before being shipped out.
, DataTimes