The 2016 edition of the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft has come and gone with some local products able to see themselves picked up by one of the 22 WHL clubs.
Yorkton product and Yorkton Rawtec Mauler defenceman Kaedan Korczak (picutred above) was selected in 1st round, 11th overall by the Kelowna Rockets.
Korczak, who played as an underager in Midget AAA with Yorkton this season, had 15 points in 42 regular season games this past year.
He also becomes the the highest Yorkton product to be selected in the draft since Minnesota Wild & local product Jarret Stoll was selected 1st back in 1997.
This is also the 2nd straight year that a Yorkton Bantam AA Terrier was selected in the 1st round after Carson Miller was picked with the last selection of the opening round by PA in 2015.
I had chance to catch up with Korczak below:
Just 14 picks later, another Yorkton-ite was selected as with the 25th overall pick goaltender Nolan Maier (pictured above) stayed in province going to the Saskatoo Blades
Maier had a 13-0-2 record with a 1.54GAA with the now 3-time league champion
Yorkton Xerox Terriers
I got Maier's thoughts on being drafted.
Maier's teammates were selected at 185th and 189th overall respectively as
Kishaun Gervais and Aidan Bulych were drafted by the Portland
Winterhawks and Prince Albert Raiders respectively.
Also picked up in the 9th round with the 197th overall pick was Swan River's Carter Cockburn.
Other local draftees: Vista, Manitoba's Cole Muir of the Yellowhead Chiefs also went in the 2nd round, 33rd overall to the Regina Pats while with the 35th pick, the Prince Albert Raiders selected Montmarte product Adam Herold.
A round later, in the 3rd round high-scoring forward from the Parkland Rangers in Mark Liwiski of Dauphin, MB went 58th overall to the Everett Silvertips.
Finally in round 10, Elkhorn's Parker Johnson was picked by the Vancouver Giants with the 200th pick.
