By Nick Patterson Herald Writer
EVERETT — Everett Youth Hockey was born from the arrival of the Everett Silvertips in 2003.
On Thursday Everett Youth Hockey began giving back to the Tips.
For the first time in the organization’s decade of existence, Everett Youth Hockey had players selected in the WHL bantam draft as the Silvertips plucked two players from its own back yard.
The Silvertips drafted Lake Stevens defenseman Wyatte Wylie in the seventh round, then came calling again in the eighth round to select Mukilteo winger Brendan Studioso. Both played the past season for the Everett Junior Silvertips bantam tier 2 team.
“It’s pretty exciting,” EYH general manager Jerry Weir said about the organization’s first bantam picks. “But really, it always comes back to the individual players and their families. The recognition goes to the kids.”
“It’s a real honor,” Wylie said about being the first player ever picked from EYH. “I didn’t really know what was going to happen, I was waiting all day, and when I heard my name was called I was so happy. There’s no other team I would have wanted to play for more.”
Wylie and Studioso became the third and fourth local players ever drafted by Everett. The Tips picked Mill Creek defenseman Daniel Woolfenden in the seventh round in 2012, then took Stanwood defenseman Connor Nobach in the fifth round last year.
It was a banner day for Snohomish County youth hockey as a whole. In addition to Wylie and Studioso, there were two other locals who were selected Thursday. Snohomish goaltender Dominick Vlaha, who played this season for the San Jose Jr. Sharks, was picked in the eighth round by the Tri-City Americans. Monroe forward Luke Ormsby, who played this season for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings, was selected in the ninth round by the Seattle Thunderbirds.
There had never been more than one local player selected in any previous bantam draft, and the four locals picked were one more than had been picked in all previous bantam drafts combined. Single locals were selected in 2010, 2012 and 2013.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.
