SUBMITTED PHOTO
Benjamin Vatis eyes up a puck in a practice with the U15 AAA Phoenix Jr. Coyotes. The net minder was drafted 20th overal by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL's U.S. priority draft Wednesday morning.
The Medicine Hat Tigers strengthened their prospect corps with two picks in the WHL’s U.S. Priority Draft on Wednesday.
The Tigers owned the 20th and 25th picks in the draft and took netminder Ben Vatis and defenceman Kolby Gapter from the 2006-born age group.
Vatis was the first goaltender selected in Wednesday’s draft, the 15-year-old plays for the Phoenix Junior U15 AAA Coyotes program. In six games with Coyotes this season, Vatis has a 3.50 goals against average and an .884 save percentage.
Tigers director of player personnel Bobby Fox says he felt Vatis was the top goalie in the Western United States.
“He is highly competitive, he’s an excellent skater with excellent skating ability, good hands and feet, just an overall high level of athleticism,” Fox said.
Medicine Hat’s U.S. scout, Andrew Howard, is based out of Phoenix and works work with the Junior Coyotes program. Fox says the feedback Howard has given him on Vatis is, “that he is mature beyond his years, is dedicated to getting better and working to become the best goalie possible.”
Fox says COVID-19 has limited his access to get to the U.S. to scout, so he has had to rely heavily on Howard and other “bird dogs” they have in key areas to provide scouting.
Five picks after taking Vatis, the Tigers took Gapter, who has played in four games with the Rocky Mountain U15 Roughriders out of Colorado.
Fox says the Tigers like the upside the defenceman’s game brings.
“He’s a smart, intelligent defenceman…,” Fox said. “We just like his IQ and we think when guys are smart they figure out that they are able to adjust to higher pace game in the future.”
Due to COVID-19 shutdowns, some leagues played minimal amounts last season, which caused the WHL to push their drafts from May to December, with the main WHL Prospects Draft set to begin at 10 a.m. today.
Fox says he thinks the extension gave guys a chance to develop more before draft day.
He added the Tigers haven’t changed their approach when it comes to drafting, but had to watch as much video as they could and hit the rinks as soon as they were open.
The Tigers hold the eighth overall pick in today’s prospects draft, and Fox says they narrowed down who they were looking to pick in the top 10 but added they would draft by the player available as opposed to the position available.
“It’s dangerous to pick based on your needs because your needs could be completely different in two years,” Fox said. “We take an approach that we’re taking who we feel the best player is.”
