MJHL Draft Recap
Which Teams Have Set Themselves Up For Future Success?
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League draft took place on June 2nd, where Manitobans from the 2008 age group were selected by the 13 teams that play in the league. The MJHL draft is usually full of surprises as it's tough to predict where players will be selected, many rising and falling on the draft board with little reason. Teams strive to select the best players that they believe will help their organization and play for the longest time. This usually leads to players who were drafted to the WHL falling as teams are worried that they will only have these players for a season or two.
Although it’s not the strongest Junior A league in Canada when compared to the Alberta Junior Hockey League and the British Columbia Hockey League, it has still produced its fair share of NHL and Collegiate talent. Playing in a Junior A league is many players first step in reaching their goal of playing Division 1 hockey.
Winkler Flyers
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Carson Hiebert - Forward - Notre Dame U17 Prep
Tegan Fehr - Forward - Central Plains Capitals U17 AAA
1st Round - 1st Overall - Layne Schofield - Forward - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
1st Round - 12th Overall - Aiden Jacobson - Forward - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
2nd Round 18th Overall - Jack Swaenepoel - Defence - Southwest Cougars U18 AAA
2nd Round - 21st Overall - Ryler Gates - Goaltender - Pembina Valley Hawks U18 AAA
3rd Round - 38th Overall - Noah Stott - Forward - Eastman Selects U17 AAA
4th Round - 42nd Overall - Ethan Stanley - Forward - Brandon Wheat Kings U17 AAA
4th Round - 51st Overall - Connor Zuk - Defence - Winnipeg Wild U18 AAA
5th Round - 53rd Overall - Zach Lansard - Forward - Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep
6th Round - 77th Overall - Colten Martens - Forward - Eastman Selects U17 AAA
Winkler was an incredibly competitive team this year, winning the entire league and going on to represent Manitoba at the Centennial Cup, where the best Junior A teams from Canada face off. With that being said, the Flyers ended up having a number of high selections in this year's draft, including the first overall pick, which they used to select Layne Schofield from U17 RHA. Schofield had 13 goals, 23 assists for a total of 36 points in 40 games. Schofield is a fast pace player, who uses speed to his advantage to drive the net and create opportunities for himself and teammates. He also has solid hands and a good shot, but he does however lack when it comes to the physical side of the game, standing at 6’ tall Schofield could look to incorporate more physicality into his game if he wants to get to the next level.
The Flyers used one of two auto-protections on Tegan Fehr. Teams can elect to use auto-protections to protect players that reside in the same region of an MJHL team. Fehr possesses a high skill set, with above average hands, a solid shot, and great footspeed. Fehr also isn't afraid to mix it up in the dirty areas of the ice and plays with a mean streak in his game. In our opinion, Fehr was the best player that the Flyers acquired in this year’s draft. However, the Flyers reached on a couple players selecting them higher than we would have expected, overall the Flyers had a good, not great draft in the eyes of Pineapples Hockey, Receiving a final post-draft grade of B.
Virden Oil Capitals
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None
1st Round - 11th Overall - Lincoln Black-Greaves - Defence - Winnipeg Thrashers U18 AAA
2nd Round - 20th Overall - Shane Elder - Forward - Westman Ice Bandits U17 AAA
2nd Round - 24th Overall - Carter Cabral - Forward - Winnipeg Thrashers U18 AAA
3rd Round - 37th Overall - Grady Taylor - Defence - Brandon Wheat Kings U17 AAA
4th Round - 40th Overall - Ragnar Gillis - Forward - Pembina Valley Hawks U18 AAA
4th Round - 50th Overall - Luka Fay - Defence - Winnipeg Bruins U17 AAA
5th Round - 63rd Overall - Kaden Allan - Defence - Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep
6th Round - 66th Overall - Jack Ross - Forward - Winnipeg Wild U17 AAA
6th Round - 76th Overall - Lucas Laramee - Forward - Eastman Selects U17 AAA
7th Round - 89th Overall - Peyton Shore - Goaltender - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
8th Round - 102nd Overall - Carter Polanski - Forward - Winnipeg Wild U17 AAA
Virden was another competitive program this season, placing first in the West Division of the MJHL this year. And in our opinion, they followed up a good season with a better draft. This is the deepest draft that any team had, with a number of great selections. Shane Elder was the U17 Forward of the year, recording 22 goals, 19 assists, for 41 points in 36 games. Elder is an offensive minded forward who has a knack for scoring goals, on top of his natural scoring ability he has a high hockey IQ and sees the ice extremely well, setting up teammates from many different spots on the ice. Elder could benefit from rounding out his defensive game, maybe sacrificing some of his offensive production to help his team more in the defensive game, overall a great use of Viden’s second round pick.
The fact that Carter Polanski fell to the eighth round was incredibly shocking to us, and we believe that the other 12 teams will regret passing on him. Polanski is another offensive minded forward possessing a large offensive toolbox, that includes elite hands and an above average shot as well as the ability to find seams which he uses to create plays. He tallied 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points in 36 games, Polanski is a high upside player, and with a few tweaks he can be great, probably deserving to go higher in this year's draft after his solid championship season with the U17 Wild. Nonetheless, the Oil Caps get one of the steals of the draft. The Oil Caps had an incredibly successful draft, receiving a Pineapples Hockey post-draft grade of A.
Portage Terriers
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Koy Funk - Forward - Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep
Lawson O’Ray - Defence - Central Plains Capitals U17 AAA
1st Round - 9th Overall - Jonah Lemoine - Forward - Brandon Wheat Kings U18 AAA
4th Round - 48th Overall - Jack Perrier - Forward - Pilot Mound Buffaloes U17 Prep
5th Round - 65th Overall - Nolan Saunderson - Defence - Brandon Wheat Kings U18 AAA
6th Round - 74th Overall - Luan Van Wyk - Defence - Central Plains Capitals U17 AAA
A rather low-key draft by the Portage Terriers this year, only making four selections in the draft. The Terriers definitely hit on their first round pick of Jonah Lemoine, a smaller forward standing at only 5 '7, despite the small stature, his game packs an offensive punch, just finishing over 1 point per game, 45 points in 44 games, in his first year with the U18 Brandon Wheat Kings. Lemoine is a crafty forward that works hard in all three zones, pulling his weight offensively and defensively. Although not one of the superstars on the Wheat Kings, Lemoine was an integral part of the championship team and was a good use of the Terriers first selection.
Nolan Saunderson, another member of the U18 Championship Brandon Wheat Kings, was selected in the fifth round by the Terriers. Saunderson, a well rounded defenseman will fit in well with the Terriers squad, he can truly play in any situation, power play, penalty kill, or protecting a one goal lead with minutes left in the third. Saunderson only fell this late in the draft due to the fact that he was drafted in last years WHL draft by the Spokane Chiefs, and will likely play with them in the next couple of years. The Terriers had an okay draft, grabbing a couple solid players but also reaching on their fourth and sixth round picks, leading to a Pineapples Hockey post draft rating of C+.
Winnipeg Freeze
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Wyatt Kelman - Defense - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
Julian Fedora - Forward - Winnipeg Wild U17 AAA
6th Round - 69th Overall - Trey Taylor - Defence - Winnipeg Wild U17 AAA
6th Round - 73th Overall - Tyler Cordoviz - Forward - Winnipeg Thrashers U17 AAA
A quiet day at the office for the Freeze, only making two selections in the sixth round this year. After finishing dead last in the league, one would think that the Freeze would want to stock up on picks in order to help them rebuild. However, they believed that trading for players was a better use of the picks, which didn't seem to work out too well for them. They actually used their two picks well in this draft. Selecting U17 AAA defenseman of the year Trey Taylor. Taylor definitely has offensive talent, finishing with the most points of any U17 defenseman. With that being said his defensive game is solid as well, using his 6’5 frame and long reach to poke pucks away from incoming players. Taylor can definitely blossom into a solid Junior A defenseman for the Freeze. Tyler Cordoviz was another solid pickup for the team. Cordoviz has a small frame, however he is extremely fast and uses his spee to his advantage to create offense and hunt opposing players down on the backcheck. Outside of his speed, he also possesses many offensive skills and was a top point producer in U17 AAA.
The Freeze had an interesting draft, we would have liked to see them acquire a couple more picks or not trade them away in the first place, they did use their two picks well, receiving a Pineapples Hockey post-draft grade of B-.
Waywayseecappo Wolverines
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Nathan Miller - Defence - Parkland Rangers U18 AAA
Adam Chipelski - Defence - Yellowhead Chiefs U18 AAA
1st Round - 4th Overall - Cole Hunter - Forward - Yellowhead Chiefs U18 AAA
1st Round - 10th Overall - Hank Thompson - Forward - Norman Northstars U18 AAA
2nd Round - 17th Overall - Alec Strachan - Forward - Yellowhead Chiefs U18 AAA
3rd Round - 30th Overall - Gavin Quenelle - Forward - Rink Hockey Academy U17 AAA
A quiet day for the Wolverines, only making four selections. They took Cole Hunter with their first round pick. Hunter is a skilled forward with a good set of hands as well as an above average shot. Hunter also sees the ice well, recording 21 assists in 44 games. Hunter will be a key part of Yellowhead’s U18 team next season, then probably making the jump to junior.
Gavin Quenelle was selected with the Wolverines third round pick. Quenelle is a speedy forward who plays with an edge. Quenelle spent the season with RHA U17 Prep, having an okay season with 18 points in 29 games adding 42 penalty minutes as well. Quenelle is a solid player, but taking him in the third round was probably a bit of a reach. The Wolverines only made four selections this year, taking good players, probably reaching on a couple, netting a Pineapples Hockey post-draft grade of B-.
Selkirk Steelers
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Dylan Line - Defence - Pilot Mound Buffaloes U17 Prep
Nolan Edmonds - Forward - Winnipeg Thrashers U17 AAA
1st Round - 6th Overall - Carter Haney - Forward - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
2nd Round - 15th Overall - Maddox Malmquist - Forward - Winnipeg Thrashers U18 AAA
2nd Round - 23rd Overall - Declan Siwicki - Forward - Winnipeg Wild U18 AAA
3rd Round - 29th Overall - Ridley Ringor - Defence - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
3rd Round - 32nd Overall - Zakary Matheson - Goaltender - Winnipeg Wild U17 AAA
6th Round - 71st Overall - Trystan Hunter - Forward - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
The Steelers had a solid draft in our eyes, they drafted a couple of offensive threats in Malmquist, Siwicki, and Haney. All of these forwards are play drivers, they all possess different offensive skill sets. Malmquist is a smaller player, however he uses his shiftyness and hands to create offense and get to the netfront. Malmquist can finish as well, having an above average shot that he can place exactly where he wants. Siwicki is a high speed player, his skating being his biggest asset. Siwicki can produce offensively, but plays more of a 200 foot game. Siwicki was a solid pickup in the second round. The Steelers used their first round selection to draft Carter Haney, a talented forward that led his RHA U17 team in points. Haney has incredible vision and is able to find seams that defenders never see coming. The one downside to Haney's game is the fact that he is on the slower side when it comes to skating, making him easier to defend on the rush, nonetheless a high caliber offensive talent who could bring his game to another level with the addition of a bit more speed to his game. The Steelers had one of the better drafts this year, receiving a Pineapples Hockey post-draft grade of A-
Niverville Nighthawks
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Max Dowse - Forward - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
Noah Hudson - Defence - Eastman Selects U17 AAA
1st Round - 7th Overall - River Arnason - Forward - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
3rd Round - 33rd Overall - Ben Dnes - Forward - Winnipeg Bruins U17 AAA
4th Round - 46th Overall - Ryden Duchon - Forward - Winnipeg Thrashers U18 AAA
5th Round - 47th Overall - Danny Cross - Defence - Winnipeg Bruins U18 AAA
5th Round - 59th Overall - Carter Kingerski - Forward - Winnipeg Wild U18 AAA
6th Round - 72nd Overall - Kellan Sichewski - Defence - Eastman Selects U18 AAA
The Niverville Nighthawks were in the top tier when it came to their draft this year, selecting skilled forwards and strong defenceman. The Nighthawks just snuck into the playoffs this season finishing fourth in the East division and are hoping to make more noise next season, these draft picks should be a big part of their team for years to come.
Danny Cross was selected in the fifth round, he played on the U18 Bruins this year and is a big punishing defenseman who isn’t afraid to chip in offensively putting up 23 points in 43 games. Cross is known for being one of the biggest hitters in the league, consistently crushing players who come into the zone with their heads down. This was a great pickup by Niverville in the fifth round.
Niverville took River Arnason with their first round pick, Arnason is a smaller forward but is offensively talented, racking up 56 points in 37 games with RHA U17. Although small, Arnason is an extremely effective player, he uses his speed to create opportunities for himself and teammates as well as having great vision and setting up teammates for easy goals, having 37 assists in 37 games. Niverville definitely had one of the deeper drafts of any team, grabbing lots of talent in the later rounds, which lead them to get a Pineapples Hockey post-draft grade of A.
Winnipeg Blues
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Wyatt Dyck - Forward - Winnipeg Wild U18 AAA.
Fenton Mann - Defence - Winnipeg Wild U18 AAA
4th Round - 41st Overall - Dylan McFadyen - Goaltender - Interlake Lightning U18 AAA
5th Round - 54th Overall - Cody Farrell - Forward - Winnipeg Wild U17 AAA
5th Round - 54th Overall - Mason Munday - Defence - Interlake Lightning U18 AAA
5th Round - 58th Overall - Mitchell Hill - Forward - Winnipeg Bruins U17 AAA
5th Round - 61st Overall - Ben Den Teuling - Defence - Winnipeg Bruins U17 AAA
5th Round - 64th Overall - Adrian Braun - Forward - Winnipeg Wild U17 AAA
6th Round - 67th Overall - Braxten Cockell - Forward - Vincent Massey High School
The Blues traded away many of their high round picks, which shocked us considering they were second last in the league, regardless, the Blues definitely got high value out of their later round picks. Cody Farrell is the reigning U17 AAA player of the year, putting up 54 points in 33 games finishing first in the league in points and goals. The fact that he fell this late surprised us again, many other U17 players of a lower caliber were taken before him. Farrell is a pure point producer, a good shot that he knows how to use as well as a solid set of hands, Farrell is an offensive threat every time he steps onto the ice and was a key part of the U17 Wild Championship team. Farrell could have been a first or second round pick and no one would have been surprised, we still don’t know how he fell this late, joining his teammate Carter Polanski as one of the steals of the draft.
The Blues auto-protected two players on the U18 Winnipeg Wild, Wyatt Dyck and Fenton Mann. Dyck is a 200 foot forward who contributes in every zone, an offensively talented player who works equally as hard in the defensive zone. Dyck is definitely one of the more well rounded players in this draft class. Mann is a big and smooth skating defenseman who plays a physical game. Mann always finishes checks and also likes to jump into the rush, sometimes he over commits and is caught out of position. The Blues used both auto-protections well and found some value picks later in the draft, receiving a Pineapples Hockey post-draft grade of B.
Steinbach Pistons
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Malachi Thiessen - Defence - Eastman Selects U18 AAA
1st Round - 13th Overall - Luca Pura - Forward - Winnipeg Wild U18 AAA
2nd Round - 26th Overall - Mathias Sibilleau - Forward - Interlake Lightning U18 AAA
4th Round - 52nd Overall - Jett Deschamps - Defence - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
5th Round - 55th Overall - Colin Krestanowich - Defence - Winnipeg Wild U17 AAA
6th Round - 78th Overall - Peyton Thiessen - Forward - Interlake Lightning U17 AAA
8th Round - 104th Overall - Hudson Kowalchuk - Defence - Winnipeg Wild U18 AAA
The Pistons are always a competitive team in the MJHL finishing with the most points in the league and making it all the way to the finals, this season was no different. They followed up a great season with a subpar draft in our opinion. The Pistons selected a pair of Interlake Lightning, and in our opinion they were taken too high. Sibilleau, although having a big frame at 6 '2 only had 7 points in 41 games played with the U18 team this year. Peyton Thiessen had 21 points in 31 games with the U17 program. These players are not bad by any stretch of the imagination, we believe that there was better value on the board when they were selected and that Steinbach could have used the picks to draft higher calibre players. They did make good use of their first round pick however, selecting Luca Pura, a big power forward from the U18 Winnipeg Wild. Pura has a natural offensive ability that allows him to finish plays and set up others for opportunities. He uses his body to protect the puck and drive the net, which is where the majority of his offense comes from. The Pistons had a mediocre draft, receiving a Pineapples Hockey post-draft grade of C+.
Dauphin Kings
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Quinten Fisk - Forward - Parkland Rangers U18 AAA
Hayden Shtykalo - Forward - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
1st Round - 8th Overall - Shea Rollason - Forward - Winnipeg Bruins U18 AAA
2nd Round - 25th Overall - Sage Dela Cruz - Forward - Winnipeg Bruins U18 AAA
3rd Round - 34th Overall - Brody Wytinck - Defence - Pilot Mound Buffaloes U17 Prep
3rd Round - 35th Overall - Brady Bell - Defence - Winnipeg Wild U17 AAA
4th Round - 47th Overall - Kingston Gunn - Forward - Winnipeg Bruins U17 AAA
5th Round - 60th Overall - William Spencer - Defence - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
The Dauphin Kings are another team that always seems to be in the mix when it comes to the best teams in the MJHL, winning the Turnbull Cup a couple years ago. The Kings had a solid draft this year selecting and protecting lots of skilled forwards. Shea Rollason was one of the best rookies in the Manitoba U18 AAA league this season, recording 37 points in 44 games. Rollason is a pure offensive talent who has a great work ethic, he is definitely a first round worthy player and should be a key piece for the Kings in years to come. Sage Dela Cruz is another good pickup for the Kings, the speedy forward is very noticeable on the ice as his footwork separates him from the rest of his competition. A good offensive player, that could be very dangerous in a couple of years if he keeps working on building his offensive toolkit. A solid draft from the Kings gets them a Pineapples Hockey post-draft grade of B.
Swan Valley Stampeders
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Alex Campbell - Forward - Parkland Rangers U18 AAA
Trace Langan - Forward - Prairie Hockey Academy U18 Prep
1st Round - 3rd Overall - Casey Magarrell - Defence - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
2nd Round - 16th Overall - Crosby Harrison - Forward - Winnipeg Thrashers U18 AAA
2nd Round - 19th Overall - Jaxon Brick - Forward - Brandon Wheat Kings U18 AAA
3rd Round - 39th Overall - Dwight Sawatzky - Forward - Pilot Mound Buffaloes U17 Prep
4th Round - 45th Overall - Jacob Reimer - Defence - Eastman Selects U17 AAA
6th Round - 68th Overall - Cole Lobreau - Forward - Brandon Wheat Kings U18 AAA
The Stampeders had a tough season, finishing last in the West division and third last in the entire league. They had the third overall pick in this year's draft, as well as a couple of other high round picks. In our eyes they missed on most of their picks this year and there were better players available at the time. Casey Magarrell was selected with the third overall pick, is a bigger defenceman standing at 6 '1, he racked up 24 points in 43 games, which isn’t bad at all, it just isn’t typical production from a player who goes third overall. Crosby Harrison had a solid rookie campaign with the U18 Thrashers putting up 16 points in 41 games. Harrison is a tall forward who protects the puck well and has above average speed along with a solid shot. The Stampeders had a pretty rough draft in the eyes of Pineapples Hockey receiving a post-draft grade of C-.
OCN Blizzard
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Chantyn Michell-Thompson - Forward - Norman Northstars U18 AAA
1st Round - 2nd Overall - Alexander Andre - Forward - Winnipeg Bruins U18 AAA
2nd Round - 22nd Overall - Ashton Dzeba - Defence - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
3rd Round - 27th Overall - Benson Hirst - Defence - Pilot Mound Buffaloes U17 Prep
3rd Round - 28th Overall - Cole Dupuis - Forward - Brandon Wheat Kings U18 AAA
3rd Round - 36th Overall - Tegan Kurtz - Forward - Winnipeg Wild U18 AAA
4th Round - 49th Overall - Dane MacInnis - Defence - Pilot Mound Buffaloes U18 Prep
5th Round - 62nd Overall - Kylan Olson - Forward - Eastman Selects U17 AAA
6th Round - 75th Overall - Mason Mykichuk - Forward - Winnipeg Thrashers U18 AAA
8th Round - 101st Overall - Karsten Woloshen - Forward - JH Bruns High School
The Blizzard had one of the deeper drafts, grabbing talent in pretty much every round. Definitely one of the better drafts out of any of the MJHL teams. Our favourite pick was definitely Alexander Andre, an incredibly hard worker, who contributes in every zone of the ice. Andre is one of the most complete players in the province for his age, willing to get in the dirty areas and will do anything he can to help his team win. The Blizzard traded up to get the second overall pick on draft day, and they used it to take a great player. Chantyn Michell-Thompson was the sole auto-protection that the Blizzard used. A super speedy forward, Michell-Thompson uses it to drive offense on his team, also hustling back to catch opponents on the backcheck, Michell-Thompson was a great use of the auto-protection by the Blizzard. The Blizzard receive a final grade of A from Pineapples Hockey.
Neepawa Titans
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Nolan Kozak - Forward - Yellowhead Chiefs U18 AAA
1st Round - 5th Overall - Tyler Wamboldt - Forward - Norman Northstars U18 AAA
2nd Round - 14th Overall - Grayson Slaney - Forward - Eastman Selects U18 AAA
3rd Round - 31st Overall - Ethan Breaky - Forward - Central Plains Capitals U17 AAA
4th Round - 43rd Overall - Kole Beard - Forward - Southwest Cougars U18 AAA
4th Round - 44th Overall - Joshua Shaganya - Defence - Rink Hockey Academy U17 Prep
6th Round - 70th Overall - Daniel De Gangne - Forward - Eastman Selects U17 AAA
8th Round, 96th Overall - Brody Slatcher - Defence - Interlake Lightning U17 AAA
The Titans had an above average draft, seemingly selecting players who are seen as faster players. Breaky, Shaganya, Slaney, and De Gagne are all excellent skaters with above average footspeed. Skating is increasingly important in today’s game, NHLers like Connor McDavid, Nathan Mackinnon, Cale Makar, and Matt Barzal are some of the best skaters in the world and they use it to their advantage in all areas of the ice. The Titans were smart to draft these players that are some of the best skaters in this class.
Tyler Wamboldt is a feisty player, using physicality to get under his opponents skin. Wamboldt is on the smaller side, standing at about 5 ‘6 but that doesn't stop him from getting into the hard areas of the ice. Wamboldt also has an offensive flair to his game, racking up 44 points in 44 games in his rookie year with the U18 Northstars. Wamboldt is definitely an agitator as well, having 96 penalty minutes in the 44 games he played. Walmbolt was one of many good pickups by the Titans during this year's draft. The Titans get a Pineapples Hockey post-draft grade of A.
The MJHL draft was full of surprises this year with many players rising and falling throughout the rounds of the draft. Like all drafts there were winners and losers, some winners include Virden, Neepawa, Niverville, and Selkirk taking many talented players in the later rounds and maximizing on value. We wish all players the best of luck at their teams rookie camps and during their upcoming seasons. Congratulations to all those who were selected during this year's MJHL Draft!