Connor Bedard grabbed many of the headlines but it surely was a robust couple of days in Nashville for junior gamers and junior groups from this province general
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Jaden Lipinski’s thoughts apparently went slightly clean after being picked by the Calgary Flames within the fourth spherical of the NHL Draft on Thursday in Nashville.
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“I truly forgot that he went to Calgary. Somebody talked about it and I used to be like ‘Oh my God. That’s superior,’” the Vancouver Giants centre instructed reporters in Nashville with regard to winger Samuel Honzek, his Vancouver teammate who was chosen within the first spherical, No. 16 general, to the Flames on Wednesday evening.
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“It is going to be cool to see some acquainted faces.”
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Having acquainted faces round has labored out nicely for Lipinski thus far. The Scottsdale, Ariz., native was handed over in his WHL draft. The Giants did choose his Phoenix Jr. Coyotes teammate Colton Langkow, and within the midst of checking in on Langkow in video games the next season, Giants brass additionally fell for Lipinski. That they had him added to their protected checklist.
The 6-foot-4, 204-pound Lipinski caught with Vancouver in 2021-22 and put up eight targets and 17 factors in 68 common season video games as a WHL rookie. He bought stronger final summer season, which appeared to assist his skating particularly, and final season he jumped to 19 targets and 51 factors in 66 common season video games.
“I believe this may give him much more confidence going ahead,” mentioned Giants basic supervisor Barclay Parneta. “I believe we’ve all the time identified that he’s participant, however to have this occur will additional solidify it for him. He took a giant step final season and we anticipate him to take a fair larger step this season. Being round professionals will assist with that.”
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The Giants didn’t play Honzek, 18, and Lipinski, 18, collectively recurrently at five-on-five final season, opting as an alternative to have Honzek staff up with overage centre Ty Thorpe and a bunch of wingers on the highest line and have Lipinski spearhead the second line recurrently. Lipinski and Honzek have been out collectively on the facility play every now and then.
Subsequent 12 months’s Vancouver line-up development is a piece in progress, however Honzek mentioned final week that Giants brass have instructed him that he may play extra centre this coming marketing campaign.
The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Honzek had 23 targets and 56 factors in 43 common season video games as a WHL rookie final season. He missed 20 video games because of a gash on the again of his leg, the results of getting skated over by an opponent whereas enjoying for the Slovaks at world juniors.
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Detroit Pink Wings basic supervisor Steve Yzerman attended the Giants’ ultimate two playoff video games in opposition to the Kamloops Blazers, and Honzek himself listed the Pink Wings and the St. Louis Blues final week as the 2 groups that had proven probably the most curiosity in him.
Detroit had the No. 9 decide and St. Louis had No. 10, and each opted to go on Honzek. The Pink Wings, oddly sufficient, had the No. 17 alternative, one spot after Calgary picked him.
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Flames assistant director of newbie scouting Rob Sumner and newbie scout Jason Taylor each reside simply throughout the border in Washington State, and each are regulars at Giants’ video games. The Flames definitely didn’t lack for viewings of Giants’ gamers.
“It’s a dream that’s lastly come true. It’s one thing unbelievable,” Honzek instructed reporters in Nashville of being drafted. “Once I was strolling down (to the draft stage) my life flashed in entrance of my eyes and I couldn’t imagine.”
Honzek and Lipinski going to the Flames was part of a robust draft displaying for the WHL — that they had 33 gamers chosen — and B.C. hockey usually.
Listed below are some extra highlights:
• There have been six WHLers picked within the first spherical, together with the B.C.-bred trio of Connor Bedard, the North Vancouver centre with the Regina Pats who went No. 1 general to the Chicago Blackhawks; Zach Benson, the Chilliwack winger with the Wenatchee Wild who went No. 13 to the Buffalo Sabres; and Tanner Molendyk, the McBride defenceman with the Saskatoon Blades who went No. 24 to the Nashville Predators. There was a fourth B.C. native within the first spherical in Matthew Wooden, the Nanaimo winger with the NCAA’s UConn Huskies who was picked No. 15 general by Nashville.
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• Bedard, Benson, Molendyk, Wooden, Washington Capitals second-rounder Andrew Cristall (winger, WHL’s Kelowna Rockets), Seattle Kraken second-rounder Lukas Dragicevic (defenceman, WHL’s Tri-Metropolis People), and Ottawa Senators fourth-rounder Hoyt Stanley (defenceman, BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies) all performed spring hockey in some unspecified time in the future with the Vancouver Vipers. Vipers coach Jon Calvano mentioned that that they had a mini-reunion Wednesday.
• Benson went two picks after the Vancouver Canucks took Swedish defenceman Tom Willander with the No. 11 alternative, so Canuck Nation is sure to match and distinction their careers going ahead. Benson is listed at 5-foot-9 and 163 kilos, however he’s massively expert. In keeping with the Buffalo Information, Benson’s 71 targets and 181 factors over 142 common season video games within the WHL with the Winnipeg Ice — they’re transferring to Wenatchee, Wash. this coming season — are the second-most factors by any of the league’s Beneath-18 skaters over the previous 25 years. Solely Bedard put up extra.
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“I believe my talent set combined with my competitiveness,” Benson instructed reporters in Nashville of which traits separate him from others on this draft class. “I compete each shift and I don’t actually take a shift off. With my talent set, I believe that goes a great distance. I believe simply my smarts, attending to locations and figuring out the place to be.”
The BCHL had 9 present, former or future gamers chosen within the draft, together with Penticton Vees ahead Bradly Nadeau, who went No. 30 general to the Carolina Hurricanes. Wooden performed within the league with the Grizzlies earlier than going to highschool.
Three gamers coming into the league have been picked, led by Larry Keenan, a defenceman en path to the Vees who performed final 12 months at Culver Army Academy in Culver, Indiana, is initially from Midhurst, Ont., and who’s dedicated to UMass. He went within the fourth spherical to the Pink Wings.
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• The BCHL parted methods with Hockey Canada earlier this low season, opting to turn into an impartial league, so gaining a displaying that they’re nonetheless robust is a constructive for them.
Nadeau is the primary participant drafted within the first spherical straight out of the BCHL because the Colorado Avalanche took Grizzlies ahead Alex Newhook in 2019 with the No. 16 alternative.
The 5-foot-10, 161-pound Nadeau is from St.-Francois de Madawaska, NB, and is a College of Maine commit. He performed two years within the BCHL with the Vees, alongside his older brother Josh, and received back-to-back Fred Web page Cup league championships. In 2022-23, he led the league in factors (113) and assists (68) and tied for probably the most targets (45). He was voted the league’s most precious participant in addition to playoff MVP.
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• Coquitlam netminder Thomas Milic, who backstopped Crew Canada to world junior gold this season and the Seattle Thunderbirds to the WHL crown, was picked within the fifth spherical, No. 151 general, by the Winnipeg Jets after being handed over prior to now two drafts.
Milic, who turned 20 in April, is extraordinary measurement for a goalie, at 6-foot and 179 kilos. He’s 60-23-3-3, with a 2.35 targets in opposition to common and a .917 save share within the common season with Seattle, and 30-14 with a 2.14 targets in opposition to common and a .929 save share within the WHL playoffs for them.
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