Published: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Silvertips' Froese rising up NHL draft rankings
After a strong showing in the recent U-18 World Championships, Tips forward Byron Froese has gone from unknown to the No. 1 riser in NHL draft rankings
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Jennifer Buchanan/The Herald
Byron Froese, who scored 19 goals and recorded 38 assists for the Silvertips this past season, could go as high as the second or third round in June's NHL draft.
The global economy is in the tank. Stock markets have fallen through the floor. Investors are drowning in a sea of red.
But there's one stock that's been living perpetually in the green, rising further and further the more time passes: that of Everett Silvertips center Byron Froese.
Froese made yet another statement to the NHL with his stellar play for Canada at the recent U-18 World Championships, and he continues to rocket up the board for the NHL draft in June.
"My shoulder is tapped out," Everett general manager Doug Soetaert, who attended three of Froese's games while scouting for the CHL import draft, said about the number of times he was grabbed by scouts asking about Froese.
Froese, an 18-year-old native of Winkler, Manitoba, helped lead the Canadians to fourth place at the U-18s, which took place in North Dakota and Minnesota and concluded Sunday.
And Froese, a complete unknown at the beginning of the season -- even in the WHL, let alone the NHL scouting community -- was a standout. On a roster filled with potential first-round NHL draft picks, Froese was one of Canada's top players.
"It was incredible," Froese said about his first stint with Team Canada. "It was a great experience and a lot of fun. I found out new things every day."
Froese played on an all-WHL line alongside Prince George's Brett Connolly and Saskatoon's Curtis Hamilton, a line that was originally slated for more of a defensive role. However, the trio turned out to be more than just a checking line, with Froese right at the heart. He finished third on the team in scoring with seven points (four goals, three assists) in six games. His plus-6 rating was tied for second for Canada.
"I was not expecting that, I was expecting to be more of a defensive player," said Froese, who had a large rooting contingent in Fargo, N.D., where Canada played all but one of its games. Fargo is just a two-hour drive from his hometown. "But when you work hard good things happen."
But while Froese made headlines with his points, it was the same two-way play he exhibited all season long for the Tips that turned the heads of the scouts.
"I thought he handled himself very well," Soetaert said. "It was very noticeable that he was a two-way forward. He's so smart offensively, but he's smart on defense as well so that he was never in position to be a liability. He fit right in with all the top-rated players."
It's a remarkable rise for Froese, who was passed over in the bantam draft and was not even a sure thing to make Everett's roster this season. But Froese was one of the surprises of the season, compiling 19 goals and 38 assists in 72 games as a 17-year-old rookie. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Froese 85th among North American skaters for the upcoming NHL draft.
Froese's performance also caught the eye of Hockey Canada, which made him a surprise selection for its U-18 team. Froese more than held his own against the best the world has to offer in his age group, scoring a hat trick against Germany in his first official game for Team Canada.
Froese continued to impress, prompting Guy Flaming, a contributor to hockey prospect Web site Hockey's Future and the co-host of hockey prospect radio program The Pipeline Show, to label Froese the No. 1 draft riser among players in the tournament.
"Byron Froese is really coming out of the pack lately," Flaming wrote on his blog.
"I think it's safe to say that Froese is going to skyrocket up the chart from unranked (by International Scouting Service) to top 100."
But just how high far will Froese rise in the draft? His ranking at 85 by Central Scouting projects Froese somewhere around the fifth round. However, the U-18s were not factored into those ratings. His performance in Fargo virtually assured Froese will be selected substantially higher than that when the draft takes place June 26-27 in Montreal.
"I think people might be surprised where he's drafted," Soetaert said. "A lot of teams would have liked to see him fly under the radar, but his performace at the U-18s definitely elevated his position.
"It's hard to say (where Froese projects)," Soetaert added, "but he could be a second- or third-round pick."
Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
But there's one stock that's been living perpetually in the green, rising further and further the more time passes: that of Everett Silvertips center Byron Froese.
Froese made yet another statement to the NHL with his stellar play for Canada at the recent U-18 World Championships, and he continues to rocket up the board for the NHL draft in June.
"My shoulder is tapped out," Everett general manager Doug Soetaert, who attended three of Froese's games while scouting for the CHL import draft, said about the number of times he was grabbed by scouts asking about Froese.
Froese, an 18-year-old native of Winkler, Manitoba, helped lead the Canadians to fourth place at the U-18s, which took place in North Dakota and Minnesota and concluded Sunday.
And Froese, a complete unknown at the beginning of the season -- even in the WHL, let alone the NHL scouting community -- was a standout. On a roster filled with potential first-round NHL draft picks, Froese was one of Canada's top players.
"It was incredible," Froese said about his first stint with Team Canada. "It was a great experience and a lot of fun. I found out new things every day."
Froese played on an all-WHL line alongside Prince George's Brett Connolly and Saskatoon's Curtis Hamilton, a line that was originally slated for more of a defensive role. However, the trio turned out to be more than just a checking line, with Froese right at the heart. He finished third on the team in scoring with seven points (four goals, three assists) in six games. His plus-6 rating was tied for second for Canada.
"I was not expecting that, I was expecting to be more of a defensive player," said Froese, who had a large rooting contingent in Fargo, N.D., where Canada played all but one of its games. Fargo is just a two-hour drive from his hometown. "But when you work hard good things happen."
But while Froese made headlines with his points, it was the same two-way play he exhibited all season long for the Tips that turned the heads of the scouts.
"I thought he handled himself very well," Soetaert said. "It was very noticeable that he was a two-way forward. He's so smart offensively, but he's smart on defense as well so that he was never in position to be a liability. He fit right in with all the top-rated players."
It's a remarkable rise for Froese, who was passed over in the bantam draft and was not even a sure thing to make Everett's roster this season. But Froese was one of the surprises of the season, compiling 19 goals and 38 assists in 72 games as a 17-year-old rookie. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Froese 85th among North American skaters for the upcoming NHL draft.
Froese's performance also caught the eye of Hockey Canada, which made him a surprise selection for its U-18 team. Froese more than held his own against the best the world has to offer in his age group, scoring a hat trick against Germany in his first official game for Team Canada.
Froese continued to impress, prompting Guy Flaming, a contributor to hockey prospect Web site Hockey's Future and the co-host of hockey prospect radio program The Pipeline Show, to label Froese the No. 1 draft riser among players in the tournament.
"Byron Froese is really coming out of the pack lately," Flaming wrote on his blog.
"I think it's safe to say that Froese is going to skyrocket up the chart from unranked (by International Scouting Service) to top 100."
But just how high far will Froese rise in the draft? His ranking at 85 by Central Scouting projects Froese somewhere around the fifth round. However, the U-18s were not factored into those ratings. His performance in Fargo virtually assured Froese will be selected substantially higher than that when the draft takes place June 26-27 in Montreal.
"I think people might be surprised where he's drafted," Soetaert said. "A lot of teams would have liked to see him fly under the radar, but his performace at the U-18s definitely elevated his position.
"It's hard to say (where Froese projects)," Soetaert added, "but he could be a second- or third-round pick."
Nick Patterson's Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
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