EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips put a crucial future building block into place Friday.
The Tips received a commitment from one of their brightest young prospects when defenseman Nicholas Walters signed a WHL education contract with the team.
Walters was the first of Everett’s two first-round picks in this year’s bantam draft, taken eighth overall. The 15-year-old from St. Albert, Alberta, is not eligible to join Everett on a full-time basis until the 2010-11 season.
Walters and his family arrived in town Friday morning, with Walters putting pen to paper by noon. He said following the bantam draft that he intended to commit to the Tips.
“My agent and I had leaned toward this, so I prepared myself for (signing during the visit),” Walters said.
“It feels really good. It’s kind of an overwhelming day for me, but I’m looking forward to being down here in Everett.”
Walters was considered one of the best defensive-oriented defensemen available in the draft. The 6-foot-2, 170-pounder tallied four goals, 24 assists and 68 penalty minutes in 32 games for the St. Albert Raiders last season.
“We’re very pleased to have him in our organization,” Everett general manager Doug Soetaert said. “He’s a big, rangy defenseman with good mobility and we think he’s going to be a heck of a hockey player for us and beyond. He’s from a solid family, he’s a character kid and we’re very excited to have him on board.”
Walters and his family are spending the entire weekend in Everett. They plan on attending the Seattle Mariners game tonight and will also take a look at Everett High School, where the younger Tips go to school.
And Walters was particularly impressed by Comcast Arena.
“I came to this arena and my eyes opened up like it’s not even explainable.”
When asked what he wanted to accomplish during his career in Everett, Walters talked more about off-ice goals than on-ice goals.
“I just want to come here and have a good four years, or however long I’m going to be here,” Walters said. “I just want to get into the community and I want to know the people here. I want to make this like my second home, because this is going to be my home for four years. I want to get to know the people, get accepted here and hope everything goes well from there.”
Tips claim two overagers
Everett claimed a pair of overagers off waivers, obtaining the rights to former Prince George Cougars Alex Poulter and Colin Scherger. Poulter, a center, and Scherger, a defenseman, will attend training camp in August and compete for roster slots.
Soetaert said following the season that winger Shane Harper, center Zack Dailey and defenseman Shayne Brown were Everett’s prospective overagers for the 2009-10 season. The additions of Poulter and Scherger create competition and guard against the possibility that Brown will be unable to return from the hip-flexor issues that plagued him last season.
Poulter, a 6-foot-1, 182-pound native of Broomfield, Colo., had eight goals and 15 assists in 65 games last season. Scherger, a 5-foot-10, 201-pound native of Medicine Hat, Alberta, had one goal and nine assists in 65 games.
Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
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