REGINA PATS 2023 WHL DRAFT RECAP

“Like any draft, you say you leave the draft excited with the prospects you got,” said Director of Scouting Dale McMullin. “Of course those players have to do their part moving forward but the scouts put in a long winter in a lot of cold rinks so today is a accumulation of a hard winter of work.”

The Pats took seven players from Manitoba, two players from Saskatchewan, two from Alberta and one from Colorado today.

“It’s just the way it lined up,” McMullin added. “We worked with about 110 kids and when the Saskatchewan boy went or the Alberta boy went, the Manitoba kid was just up next. It’s just the way it worked out this year.”

2023 WHL Prospects Draft Recap

RD 3 | #51 | Cohen Klassen | Forward | Martensville Marauders U15 AA

Klassen, 14, is the Pats first selection of the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft. Hailing from Martensville, Sask., the 5-foot-10, 160 lb. left-shot forward tallied 61 points (32G-29A) in 24 games this past season with the Martensville Marauders, leading his team in goals, assists and points in 2022-23. His 32 goals were T-10th in the SAAHL U15 league.

RD 3 | #61 | Cameron Kuzma | Forward | HC Edmonton U15

Kuzma, 14, played for two different programs during the 2022-23 season, beginning the season with the Delta Hockey Academy and finishing it with HC Edmonton. The 6-foot-1, 175 lb. left-shot forward recorded 16 points (4G-12A) in 11 games with Delta’s U15 team before adding 22 points (10G-12A) in just eight games with HC Edmonton’s U15 club. The St. Albert, Alta. product played the 2021-22 season with the Eagles Hockey Academy, scoring 86 points (52G-34A) in 30 contests.

RD 4 | #67 | Hudson Kowalchuk | Defenceman | Winnipeg Wild Red U15 AAA

Kowalchuk, 14, is a 5-foot-10, 145 lb. left-shot defenceman that spent the 2022-23 season with the Winnipeg Wild Red U15 AAA program, totalling 31 points (2G-29A) in 22 contests. Hailing from Winnipeg, Man, Kowakchuk played for Team Manitoba at the 2017-18 Brick Invitational scoring a goal in seven games.

RD 4 | #78 | Zachary Lansard | Forward | Rink H.A. Winnipeg U15 Prep

Lansard, 14, scored 41 points (17G-24A) in 30 games in 2022-23 with RHA Winnipeg, finishing fourth on his team in points and third in goals. The St. Anne, Man. product is a 5-foot-8, 140 lb. right-shot forward that also played with Kowalchuk with Team Manitoba at the 2017-18 Brick Invitational.

RD 5 | #96 | Jett Deschamps | Defenceman | Rink H.A. Winnipeg U15 Prep

Deschamps, 14, tallied 24 points (4G-20A) in 30 games in 2022-23 alongside Lansard with the Rink H.A. Winnipeg U15 Prep program. Hailing from Headingley, Man. Deschamps is listed at 5-foot-6, 120 lb. and is a left-shot defenceman.

RD 6 | #120 | Kohen Volk | Defenceman | Saskatoon Bandits U15 AA

Volk, 15, played for the Bandits U15 AA team this past season, picking up 26 points (8G-18A) in 30 contests. The 5-foot-9, 160 lb. right-shot defenceman hails from Saskatoon Sask. and is committed to play for the Saskatoon Contacts next season.

RD 6 | #122 | Carter Haney | Forward | Winnipeg Bruins Brown U15 AAA

Haney, 15, recorded 90 points (42G-48A) in 34 games in 2022-23 with the Bruins Brown U15 AAA team, finishing third in the Winnipeg AAA U15 league in points and assists while fifth in goals. The Winnipeg, Man. product is listed at 5-foot-8, 147 lb. and is a right-shot forward.

RD 7 | #148 | Fenton Mann | Defenceman | Winnipeg Wild Green U15 AAA

Mann, 15, played for the Winnipeg Wild this past season, tallying 31 points (8G-23A) in 33 contests. A product of Winnipeg, Man. Mann is a left-shot defenceman that is listed at 6-foot-1, 167 lb.

RD 8 | #173 | Maddox Malmquist | Forward | Rink H.A. Winnipeg U15 Prep

Malmquist, 14, recorded 48 points (20G-28A) in 27 games this past season with RHA Winnipeg, leading his team in points, while tied for first in goals. The East St. Paul, Man. product is a 5-foot-7, 130 lb. left-shot forward.

RD 9 | #188 | Kai Zurowski | Goalie | St. Albert U15 AAA Sabres

Zurowski, 15, went 10-1 with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage with two shutouts this past season with the St. Albert Sabres. The 5-foot-11, 161 lb. goaltender hails from St. Albert, Alta and played for Team Alberta Gold at the Alberta Cup.

RD 10 | #210 | Dain Gordon | Forward | Bishop Kearney Selects 14U

Gordon, 15, played for the same program this past season as current Regina Pats forward Matteo Michels. The Denver, Colorado product recorded 75 points (31G-44A) in 72 games with the Bishop Kearney Selects team. He is a right-shot forward listed at 6-foot, 145 lb.

RD 11 | #232 | Tegan Kurtz | Forward | Winnipeg Wild Gold U15 AAA

Kurtz, 14, produced 39 points (13G-26A) in 31 games in 2022-23 with the Winnipeg Wild Gold U15 AAA club. The Winnipeg, Man. product is listed at 5-11, 160 lb.

(Regina Pats/Dante DeCaria)

CALGARY – The Western Hockey League completed the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft online on Thursday.
 
With the first-overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, the Prince Albert Raiders used the selection to take defenceman Daxon Rudolph (Lacombe, Alta. / Northern Alberta Xtreme U15 Prep). 
 
In total, 232 players were selected by WHL member Clubs, including 128 forwards, 88 defencemen, and 16 goaltenders.
 
Alberta led all provincial branches with 93 players selected. A total of 50 players from B.C. were chosen, with another 44 players coming from Saskatchewan. Manitoba saw 38 players selected. Thursday’s proceedings saw seven players selected from the United States, following on the heels of 44 American-born players taken in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft on Wednesday. 

(WHL Comms)