In the pipeline: Silvertips prospects gear up for playoffs

With midget hockey playoffs underway all throughout Canada, here’s a look at how Everett Silvertips prospects and their respective teams are faring:

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Forwards

—Jacob Wright (2002), Fraser Valley Thunderbirds, BCMML

The Thunderbirds won the British Columbia Major Midget League regular-season championship, finishing one point ahead of the Cariboo Cougars with 60 points. The Thunderbirds will play a best-of-three series against the Valley West Giants, beginning on March 15.

Wright finished second on his midget team behind Calgary prospect Zac Funk and tied for seventh in the BCMML with 49 points in 36 games. His 33 assists were tied with Dawson Good for the team lead and third in the league.

Wright was named the team’s Most Valuable Player at the team’s awards banquet.

T-Birds 2018-19 Most Valuable Player Award. Congratulations to Jacob Wright. pic.twitter.com/2FRumjKclL

— Major Midget Thunderbirds (@MMLThunderbirds) March 10, 2019

2018-19 stats:

Regular season: 36 games, 16 goals, 33 assists

Playoffs: TBD

—Carter Halamandaris (2003), Winnipeg Wild Midget AAA, MMHL

The Wild defeated the Winnipeg Bruins in four games in a best-of-five quarterfinals series to advance to the semifinals, where they lead the Southwest Cougars 1-0 after capturing Game 1 with a 5-2 win. Halamandaris was pointless in the first game of the semifinals and finished with three goals and two assists in the quarterfinals.

Game 2 took place Wednesday night.

The Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, native finished sixth on his midget team with a .323 goals-per-game ratio. The Wild finished atop the Manitoba Midget Hockey League regular-season standings with 84 points, eight points ahead of the second-place team, Yellowhead.

Halamandaris was Everett’s fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft.

2018-19 season states

Regular season: 34 games, 11 goals, eight assists

Playoffs: Five games, three goals, two assists

—Nate Goodbrandson (2003), Winnipeg Thrashers Midget AAA, MMHL

The Thrashers lost their five-game playoff series with the Southwest Cougars, with the St. Andrews, Manitoba, native finishing with only a goal over four games.

Goodbrandson, a seventh-round pick in 2018, signed a contract with the Silvertips in November. His 52 points (19 goals, 33 assists) were second behind Seattle prospect Conner Roulette, who boasted 88 (41 goals, 47 assists).

2018-19 stats:

Regular season: 48 games, 19 goals, 33 assists

Playoffs: Four games, one goal, zero assists

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Defensemen

—Dylan Anderson (2002), Yale Hockey Academy Prep, CSSHL

Anderson and Yale began the Canadian School Sport Hockey League playoffs on Wednesday with their first game of pool play against Rink Midget Prep.

The right-handed defenseman posted an assist in a three-game stint with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers, but he’s made his name with Yale Hockey Academy Prep in Abbotsford as nearly a point-per-game player with 27 points in 30 games. Anderson was a fourth-round pick in the bantam draft in 2017.

2018-19 stats:

Regular season: 30 games, five goals, 22 assists.

Playoff stats: TBD

—Aidan Sutter (2002), Thompson Blazers, BCMML

The ink on Sutter’s WHL Standard Player Agreement is fresh, as the Kamloops, British Columbia, native signed with the Silvertips on Monday.

After finishing fifth in the British Columbia Major Midget League regular-season standings, the Blazers are poised for a matchup with the Okanogan Rockets in a battle between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds.

Sutter’s 35 points in 35 games is the most amongst defensemen on his team. Logan Stankoven, a Kamloops prospect and the fifth-overall pick in the 2018 bantam draft, leads the team with a BCMML record 103 points in 38 games.

2018-19 stats:

Regular season: 33 games, eight goals, 27 assists

Playoffs: TBD

—Olen Zellweger (2003), OHA Edmonton Prep, CSSHL

Zellweger is fresh off an appearance with Team Alberta at the 2019 Canada Games in Red Deer, posting two points (one goal, one assist) to help lead Alberta to a bronze medal. Alberta trounced Team Saskatchewan, 12-0, in the bronze-medal game, with Zellweger recording both his points in the beatdown.

OHA Edmonton Prep began the Candadian School Sport Hockey League playoffs on Wednesday with their first game of pool play against Edge Academy.

2018-19 stats:

Regular season: 35 games, eight goals, 19 assists

Playoffs: TBD

—Ty Gibson (2003), South Island Royals, BCMML

The 15-year-old from Victoria, British Columbia, participated in the 2019 Canada Games in Red Deer in February. Gibson chipped in two goals and an assist in seven games for Team B.C., which finished seventh.

Gibson was Everett’s third-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft and signed before the 2018 training camp.

The South Island Royals finished ninth out of 11 teams in the British Columbia Major Midget League and did not qualify for the playoffs.

2018-19 stats:

Regular season: 33 games, five goals, seven assists

Playoffs: N/A

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Goaltenders

—Danton Belluk (2001), Eastman Selects Midget, MMHL

Belluk posted a 4.22 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage for the Eastman Selects Midget AAA, which lost to Brandon in four games to end their season.

Belluk joined the Silvertips for the team’s Eastern Conference swing after Blake Lyda landed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, but didn’t appear in a game. He was rock solid in the Manitoba Midget Hockey League, with the fifth best save percentage in the league (.922).

2018-19 stats:

Regular season: 40 games, 2.91 GAA, .922 %.

Playoffs: four games, 4.22 GAA, .919 %.

—Blake Lyda (2002), CAC Canadians Midget AAA, AMHL

Lyda started the season as the Silvertips’ backup goaltender behind Dustin Wolf, but an upper-body injury sent him to injured reserve and prompted the acquisition of Max Palaga. He was sent down to his midget team and owns a 3.97 goals-against average in five games.

Lyda started two playoff games for his midget team, which was swept in three games against the St. Albert Raiders.

2018-19 stats:

Regular season: Five games, 3.97 GAA, .895 %.

Playoff stats: Two games, 3.53 GAA, .905 %

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All statistics are according to EliteProspects.com and current through Wednesday, March 13.

Josh Horton covers the Everett Silvertips and AquaSox for The Everett Daily Herald. Follow him on Twitter(@joshhortonEDH) or reach out to him over email (jhorton@heraldnet.com).