Neepawa Natives pleased with MJHL draft results
- Details
- Published on Thursday, June 9, 2016
By Eoin Devereux
Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
The Neepawa Natives are very happy with what transpired at the 2016 Manitoba Junior Hockey League draft. The team selected seven players in total during the event, which was held on Sunday, June 5 in Selkirk.
Among those picks was defenceman Parker Malchuk of the Bantam AAA Yellowhead Chiefs, who was taken with the first overall pick. Malchuk, a Birtle product, accumulated eight goals and 19 assists for the Chiefs during the AAA regular season. Natives general manager Myles Cathcart said the scouting staff has watched Malchuk develop as a player and believe that his game is headed in the right direction.
“[Malchuk] is a smart player whose game has developed nicely over the past year. He’s a well rounded defenceman, whose awareness on both ends of the ice will be a welcome addition,” said Cathcart.
In the second round, Neepawa picked forward Zak Smith of Austin. Smith was a member of the Central Plains Capitals last year and generated an impressive 83 points (33 goals - 50 assists). Cathcart said that Smith is a very dynamic offensive threat who is able to read the tempo of play on the ice as it develops and adjust his game accordingly
The third pick for Neepawa was defenceman Ryan Gottfried, who played for the Winnipeg Hawks in the Winnipeg Bantam AAA league. Cathcart said that the youngster, who is already an imposing figure at 6’3” and 202 pounds, will be a very physical presence.
“He is an all-around defenceman, who plays a tough game and will definitely continue to grow,” indicated Cathcart.
In the fourth round, Neepawa picked up defenceman Conrad Solypa of the Eastman Selects. Solypa generated 17 points in 32 regular season games. Cathcart noted he’s a skilled defender, who plays a heads up game. Dallon Wilton of Beausejour, Manitoba was taken in the fifth round. Also a member of the Eastman Selects, Wilton was able to accumulate 48 points in 32 league games. Later on in the fifth round, the Natives used a pick they received from the Winkler Flyers to acquire Jaeger Lapointe. The Ste. Rose product notched 33 points in 36 games during the 2015-2016 season. Neepawa’s final pick in this year’s draft, would see them select Zane McDonald of Minnedosa. The member of the Yellowhead Chiefs had 40 points in 33 regular season games last season.
The six round MJHL bantam draft is for players who are 15-years-old, born in 2001. Each of the 11 MJHL clubs are allowed to protect two bantam aged players from their local minor hockey association before the draft. For the Natives, they auto protected Bryan Todoruk of Neepawa this year.
The next event of note on ice for the Neepawa Natives is scheduled for July, when the team will hold a summer prospects camp in Brandon at the Sportsplex. Registration will begin on Monday, July 4 at 10:00 am, while the on-ice sessions will take place on July 4 from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm and Tuesday, July 5 from 11:30 am - 5:30 pm.
