Tabbies select a dozen at bantam draft

By RYAN MCCRACKEN on April 23, 2020.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken

After producing 51 points with his hometown Saskatoon Generals this season, 14-year-old defenceman Reid Andresen awoke Wednesday morning to watch his name appear next to the Medicine Hat Tigers as the 11th overall pick in the Western Hockey League’s online bantam draft.

“I’m really excited and thankful just to be part of the organization,” Andresen said in a phone interview with the News. “It’s been really exciting just watching everybody get drafted, and myself. I’m pretty thankful that they picked me.”

The 5-foot-7, 125-pound left-shot defenceman became the first of 12 players to join Medicine Hat’s ranks, including the first hometown products since 2011 in fellow blueliners Josh Van Mulligen and Cole Unger.

“We’re not drafting these players just because they’re local. They’re extremely talented guys and we’re happy to have them as part of the system right now,” said Tigers director of player personnel Bobby Fox, who took six centres, five defencemen and one goaltender in the draft. “We picked a couple more players than the original plan, but I think we were happy to make a couple extra selections.”

Andresen – who turns 15 next Wednesday – proved himself as a capable two-way threat in the Saskatchewan Bantam AA Hockey League this season, putting up nearly two points per game with 38 assists and 13 goals over just 31 contests.  Andresen went on to add three goals and seven assists in four playoff games.

“I’m an offensive defenceman. I like to put up as many points as I can,” said Andresen. “I play on the power play, at the top of the power play. My season went pretty good, we finished third and we were doing really good in playoffs, then obviously it got cancelled, but it was a pretty good season.”

Medicine Hat’s Dawson Seitz was also taken in the first round, going 20th overall to the Edmonton Oil Kings. Seitz had his season shortened due to injury, but still managed seven goals in as many games with his hometown South East Athletic Club Tigers. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound forward also recorded five points in five playoff games.

Second round

The Medicine Hat Tigers used their second pick in the draft to select a hometown defenceman in Van Mulligen.

The 6-foot, 169-pound defenceman served as captain of the SEAC Tigers this season, logging 13 goals and 14 assists from the back end and taking home the title of top defenceman both in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League and at the local Hockey Hounds Major Bantam Hockey Tournament.

“Van Mulligen is a bigger body that can skate, play a two-way game and contribute at both ends of the ice,” said Fox.

Van Mulligan became the first Hatter to be drafted by the Tigers since Blake Penner was selected 18th overall in 2011.

Third round

The Tigers shifted their focus up front for two of three picks in the third round, using the 51st on Edge School centre Shane Smith and the 54th on West Van Warriors centre Walker Gelbard.

Smith – a 5-foot-10, 159-pound Cessford, Alta., product – registered 23 goals and 20 assists in 30 Canadian Sport School Bantam Hockey League games this season.

Gelbard – a 5-foot-8, 153-pound product of Vancouver – closed out his CSSBHL season with 10 goals and 26 assists over the course of 24 games.

The Tigers acquired the 51st and 54th picks through trades with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Vancouver Giants, respectively.

Medicine Hat went back to the table late in the third round to select North East Wolfpack defenceman Blake Ekren-Bratton at 61st overall.

The 6-foot, 178-pound Porcupine Plain, Sask., product closed out his SBAAHL season with 19 goals and 18 assists through 27 games. Ekren-Bratton also spent three games in the Saskatchewan Midget Hockey League with the Tisdale Trojans.

Fifth round

After going without a selection in the fourth round, the Tabbies returned in the fifth to take Calgary Royals centre Andrew Basha with the 105th overall pick.

Basha – a 5-foot-8, 140-pound lefty from Calgary – finished just shy of two points per game with 24 goals and 33 assists in 33 contests on the Royals this season. He went on to add six points in three playoff games.

Sixth round

Medicine Hat opted for another centre in the sixth round, using the 124th overall pick on OHA Edmonton bantam prep forward Hunter St. Martin.

The 5-foot-8, 130-pound lefty from Edmonton – and son of former Tigers defenceman Blair St. Martin - closed out his CSSBHL season with six goals and 11 assists over 25 games.

Seventh round

Continuing the trend of strength down the middle, the Tigers spent their seventh-round pick on Okanagan Rockets centre Lian Gayfer at 149th overall.Â

The 5-foot-9, 146-pound left-shot from Kamloops put up 27 goals and 15 assists in 30 British Columbia Bantam Hockey League games this season.

Eighth round

The Tigers went back to the defensive zone in the eighth round, using the 163rd pick to take North Island Silvertips rearguard Caden Tremblay and the 171st on Airdrie Xtreme goalie Zach Zahara.

Tremblay – a 5-foot-9, 140 left-shot from Port Alberni – recorded five goals and 22 assists over 30 BCBHL games this season.Â

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Zahara closed out his season in Airdrie with a .908 save percentage and a 3.36 goals against average over 17 games.

Ninth round

The Tigers spent the 193rd overall pick on Okanagan Hockey Club bantam prep centre Brett Calhoon.

Calhoon – a 5-foot-11, 155-pound Oliver, B.C. product – collected seven goals and 14 assists over 30 CSSBHL games and spent one game with Okanagan’s Elite 15s.

Tenth round

The Tigers added another local recruit to the ranks in the 10th round, using their final pick to secure another Hat defenceman in Unger at 206th overall.

“He’s got a high ceiling,” Fox said of Unger. “He’s an extremely skilled guy, he has great edges, he can skate. We’re excited to see where these guys can get to.”

The 5-foot-6, 120-pound right-shot blueliner recorded three goals and 13 assists in 33 games with the SEAC Tigers this season.

Medicine Hat held a second pick in the 10th round at 215th overall, but opted to pass.

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