FRIDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98)
IT’S A HUGE DAY FOR HOCKEY IN SASKATCHEWAN!
AT 1 PM LIVE ON SASKTEL MAX T.V., THE SASKATCHEWAN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE WILL CONDUCT ITS 2020 DRAFT INVOLVING ALL 12 TEAMS WITH COACHES AND GMS PICKING REMOTELY FROM THEIR ARENAS.
IT’S THE FIRST TIME IN THE LEAGUE’S 51-YEAR HISTORY THAT THE DRAFT HAS BEEN TELEVISED AND I’M BEYOND THRILLED TO BE THE HOST.
SO GET READY FOR IT – SIX ROUNDS OF JUST SASKATCHEWAN PLAYERS. THE SJHL SCOUTING BUREAU HAS SASKATOON FORWARD LUKE FORTE RATED AS THE NUMBER-ONE PICK. NOW, HE WAS TAKEN BY THE WHL’S KAMLOOPS BLAZERS 52ND OVERALL IN APRIL’S WHL DRAFT SO THE SJHL SCOUTS MUST KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT FORTE’S INTENTIONS FOR WHICH LEAGUE HE’D PREFER TO PLAY IN, OR HE WOULDN’T BE RATED SO HIGH.
SOME NAMES YOU’LL WANT TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THIS AFTERNOON ARE WILLOW BUNCH’S VAN EGER. THE FORWARD PLAYED WITH NOTRE DAME THIS YEAR, IS RATED #20 IN THE SJHL DRAFT, BUT WAS TAKEN BY THE SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS IN THE DUB DRAFT.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WEYBURN PLAYERS EXPECTED TO GO AS WELL, INCLUDING NOEL ENGLOT WHO PLAYED FOR THE BANTAM WINGS THIS PAST SEASON. HIS HOMETOWN IS ACTUALLY LISTED AS CANDIAC, AND HIS OLDER BROTHER TY PLAYS FOR THE PATS.
THERE ARE MANY UNCERTAINTIES AROUND DRAFT TIME BUT THERE’S ONE GUARANTEE TODAY – SASKATOON IS GOING TO LEAD THE WAY. OF THE TOP 25 PLAYERS RATED BY THE SJHL SCOUTING BUREAU, A FULL EIGHT OF THEM ARE FROM THE BRIDGE CITY. AND THAT DOESN’T EVEN INCLUDE SASKATONIANS RILEY HEIDT AND BRAYDEN YAGER WHO ARE SURE-FIRE BETS TO PLAY IN THE WHL.
IT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST DAYS OF THE YEAR IN THE SJHL AND IT’S TODAY. THE PUCK GOES DOWN AT 1 PM.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.
