Prospect report: provincials

Published 2:04 pm Thursday, May 12, 2011

May is when the western Canadian provinces take the first step toward selecting their U-17 and U-16 teams for next winter’s U-17 World Hockey Challenge and Western Canada U-16 Challenge Cup. This year those would be 1995- and 1996-born players, meaning players selected in the past two bantam drafts.

The four western Canadian provinces have released their preliminary lists for trying out for those teams, with the exception of the Alberta U-16 list. I haven’t been able to find that one, and I’m tired of waiting, so we’re going to forge on without it.

Anyway, here are the Everett picks from the past two drafts who have shown up on those lists:

B.C.
U-17: D Austin Adam (fourth round).
U-16: F Kyle Raymond (seventh round), F Ryan Rensby (10th round), D Kyle MacDonald (eighth round), D Darien Head (12th round).

ALBERTA
U-17: F Kyle Messervey (ninth round), D Andrew Weich (11th round).
U-16: not available.

SASKATCHEWAN
U-17: F Carson Stadnyk (eighth round), G Casey Parker (10th round).
U-16: F Dawson Leedahl (second round), F Nicholas Pouliot (ninth round).

MANITOBA
U-17: F Geordie Maguire (fifth round), G Austin Lotz (seventh round).
U-16: F Maverick Rafter (11th round).

Tips 2010 10th rounder Cody DePourcq is on B.C.’s list, but it was reported elsewhere he was droppped by Everett and picked up by Kamloops.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba have both narrowed their lists down to 40 players. Alberta’s at 80 players, and B.C. is at around 120.

Everett’s Alberta U-16 eligibles are F Ty Mappin (first round), D Michael Zipp (fourth round) and G Dylan France (sixth round). If those three are selected, and given where they were picked they should be, that means all 10 of Everett’s picks from the recent bantam draft made their respective preliminary lists.

The most puzzling exclusion among the U-17s is F Ryan Chynoweth. Chynoweth wasn’t just Everett’s top pick in 2010, he also played for Alberta at the Canada Winter Games, so he certainly on the province’s radar. One would think he would at least be among the top 80 players in Alberta in his age group. Perhaps he had other commitments and was unable to participate in the evaluation camp.

These lists will be further whittled during the summer.