Yellowhead winger taken first in MJHL Draft

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Published on Monday, June 5, 2017

By Eoin Devereux

The Neepawa Press

The recent success of the Yellowhead Bantam Chiefs has been noticed across the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), as eight of their players were chosen in the 2017 draft. Even more impressive than that, the top two picks in the first round were both from Yellowhead.

The draft, which occurred this year in Winnipeg on Sunday, June 4, had six rounds and involved all 11 teams in the MJHL. The Waywayseecappo Wolverines had the first overall pick and selected right winger Jake Poole of McAuley. In 2016-2017, Poole accumulated 77 points (36 goals - 41 assists) for the Chiefs during the regular season. The 15-year-old was also recently selected in the Western Hockey League (WHL) draft, taken in the sixth round by the Kelowna Rockets. This is the third straight year a player from Yellowhead was taken with the top pick, as defenceman Parker Malchuk of Birtle was taken first overall by Neepawa last year. The prior year, the Natives once again had the top pick and chose forward Mackenzie Belinski.

With the second overall pick, the Dauphin Kings took Poole’s teammate, defensemen Reece Richmond (18 goals - 29 assists). Cory King of Souris was picked third by the Swan Valley Stampeders, while Brady Whitely was selected by the Neepawa Natives with the fourth pick. Whitely is from Winnipeg and accumulated 34 points (14G - 20A) for the Bantam Hawks last season. Another Chief, Bray Rookes of Manson, was taken with the fifth pick by the Virden Oil Capitals. 

Other Yellowhead Chiefs taken in the draft included Brody Wilson, Colby Joseph and Cole Stainer by Waywayseecappo, Owen Wareham (Dauphin) and Zachary Veitch (Neepawa). Each of the 11 MJHL clubs are also allowed to protect two bantam aged players from their local minor hockey association before the draft. For the Natives, they auto protected Garret Rainkie of Yellowhead and Tyler Gibson from the Neepawa Natives Bantam.

MJHL draft results: Round one

1. Waywayseecappo: Jake Poole (Yellowhead Chiefs)

2. Dauphin: Reece Richmond (Yellowhead Chiefs)

3. Swan Valley: Cory King (Southwest Cougars)

4. Neepawa: Brady Whitely (Winnipeg Hawks)

5. Virden: Bray Rookes (Yellowhead Chiefs)

6. Winnipeg: Jackson Klewchuk (Winnipeg Hawks)

7. Waywayseecappo (from Portage): Brody Wilson (Yellowhead Chiefs)

8. Selkirk: Caiden Gault (Eastman Selects)

9. Opaskwayak: Evan Herman (Rink H.A. Nationals Bantam Prep)

10. Winkler: Calder Anderson (Brandon Wheat Kings)

11. Steinbach: Landon Roberts (Southwest Cougars)

The complete draft results can be found online at mjhlhockey.ca. An expanded review of the Neepawa Natives draft selections will be in the Friday, June 9 edition of the Neepawa Banner.