EVERETT — Manraj Hayer is proof positive the scouts don’t always see everything.
Even when it’s right in front of them.
Hayer was one of the brightest stars among the Everett Silvertips’ prospects at this year’s training camp, and his is a tale of how the WHL bantam draft doesn’t always get things right, even when it should.
“Not everybody who gets drafted plays, and a lot of guys who don’t get drafted end up playing,” Everett general manager Doug Soetaert said. “He’s a very talented young man and we’re very fortunate to have him as a part of our organization.”
The 16-year-old play-making center was a revelation during the three days of training camp. In his first scrimmage he was so dominant against players his own age he was immediately promoted to the top line, where he was thrust in against Everett’s veterans. That didn’t seem to affect Hayer at all as he continued to pile up goals and assists against the best the Tips had to offer, despite his diminutive 5-foot-8 frame.
“I think it’s going great,” Hayer said of his camp. “I’m just going out, putting out hard work every day, and so far so good.”
This was a followup to last year, when as a 15-year-old he was one of the top performers in Everett’s rookie camp. Since the moment he first stepped on the ice in Everett, he excelled.
So it all begs the question: Why was Hayer ever a free agent?
Hayer went unselected in the 2008 bantam draft. That in itself isn’t a surprise. Many talented kids who end up having WHL careers are overlooked every year.
But one has to wonder why Hayer ended up among those ranks.
It wasn’t as if Hayer was hidden in some isolated community in the Canadian prairies. He hails from the biggest city in western Canada, Vancouver, B.C.
It wasn’t like he wasn’t seen. He played his bantam season with the Burnaby Winter Club, one of the higher-profile programs in the region, and his teammate was Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who was taken first overall by the Red Deer Rebels. Every scout in western Canada probably saw Hayer play multiple times.
And it wasn’t because Hayer didn’t produce. He played on the same line with Nugent-Hopkins and those two put up big numbers together.
Hayer himself was surprised he didn’t get drafted. “I kind of had a spare moment in school so I went to the library and checked it out and saw I didn’t get drafted, so I was a little bit shocked,” he recalled.
So what happened?
“He was a smaller guy, he was 5-foot-6, and it wasn’t a great Burnaby team,” Everett director of player personnel Scott Scoville explained. “Nugent-Hopkins got all the accolades, everybody came in to see him. But to be honest, we didn’t go and see him play a whole lot because we knew we weren’t going to be picking first, second or third overall. And it wasn’t a Burnaby team that played in all the big tournaments because their team was just OK. So yeah, he probably got a lot of viewings, but probably not as much as he should have. He did slide under the radar.”
Well, not completely under the radar. Hayer was one of the most sought-after 15-year-old camp invitees in the league last year, receiving a dozen different invitations to WHL training camps. He narrowed it down to Everett and Vancouver, ultimately choosing the Tips.
In mere minutes after he stepped on the ice at last year’s rookie camp, it was clear he was going to end up on Everett’s 50-player protected list as he outperformed just about all of the listed players there.
Then he confirmed his abilities playing midget hockey last season. As a 15-year-old he led the Greater Vancouver Canadians of the B.C. Major Midget League in scoring, tallying 23 goals and 31 assists in 40 games and leading the Canadians to the league’s championship series.
“I thought he had a great season,” Scoville said. “His team was OK, they were very similar to the Everett Silvertips of year one in that they didn’t have a ton of skill. Manny was kind of playing alone in that respect, but every game he showed up and got his goal, got his assists and just played so hard. He’s such a strong guy for his size that he doesn’t get knocked around, and he carried that team he was on last year.”
The Tips don’t have Hayer’s services sewn up just yet. As of Thursday, he had yet to sign a WHL education contract with Everett. Hayer said he wants to keep his options open until he’s sure he’s up to playing at the WHL level this season.
But when asked where he wanted to play this season, Hayer had no hesitation.
“If I could make Everett this year it would be a great experience,” Hayer said. “I’d love to play here.
“I think I’ve shown the coaches what I have, that I’m a skilled player and I can score goals,” Hayer added. “I think I’ve shown I can play, so we’ll see.”
Based on his performances at camp, making the team this year shouldn’t be an issue, and Soetaert seems to agree.
“I think he has a very good chance of making our team this year,” Soetaert said. “The opportunity is there.”
Despite the fact that little more than a year ago no one could see it.
Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
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