Young embraced pressure of draft season

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This article was published 15/05/2024 (762 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With the pressure on, Ethan Young rose to the occasion.

The five-foot-eight, 136-pound defenceman from Regina, who turns 15 on June 4, was selected by Brandon Wheat Kings in the fourth round with the 85th overall pick during the Western Hockey League draft on May 9.

That came after a season of scouts watching the U15 AA Regina Pats Blue and his high-scoring teammate Chase Surkan, who Brandon grabbed with the 14th overall pick.

“I think I handled it great,” Young said. “When the pressure is there, I always play better. It actually helps me to see those people here to watch me or Chase or whoever it is. It helps me quite a bit.”

“I think having scouts in the building told me I needed to show up that night and I need to compete my hardest and show them what I’m capable of doing,” he added.

The 14-year-old was Brandon’s second pick of the fourth round, which was obtained from the Vancouver Giants for another Regina blue-liner, Logen Hammett, who was traded prior to his overage season. The pick originally belonged to the Moose Jaw Warriors but was acquired by the Giants in the trade for defenceman Marek Howell.

The left-handed shooting Young started to skate at age three at Regina’s Co-operators Centre, and started to play soon after. It took him a while to find his way to the blue-line.

“I was everything,” Young said. “I tried goalie once but didn’t like it. My dad switched me between D and forward to see which one I liked more, and I always said D.”

Apparently defence is a priority for Young in all his sports. He also plays cornerback on a competitive flag football team that is eyeing a trip to nationals.

Young said the reason he likes playing on the blue-line in hockey is simple.

“I get to make the plays,” Young said. “In the D zone, I get to determine where the puck goes. I think that’s helped me over the years.”

So has the commitment his parents Jason and Jana have made his to his career. The family, which also includes his younger siblings Brooke and Everett, gave the youngster every chance to succeed.

“Every year they sign me up for hockey, which is a lot,” Young said. “They’ve always taken me to practices and games, but ever since I was four, my dad signed me up for power skating with Dave Schultz in Regina for four years until I was eight.

“When I was nine, I just played hockey and didn’t do any other camps, but at the age of 10 I started doing a morning skate at 6:45. It was with Dave Schultz and Next Level Hockey Consulting on Thursdays, and that was a commitment for them because they have to wake up early and drive me there and drive me back and then take me to school.”

His father and uncle both attended WHL camps but neither played in the league.

Young was certainly in the right place at the right time last winter, which sometimes is half the battle.

The Pats Blue went 24-3 during the regular season to finish first in the 10-team South Division and lost just one game in four best-of-three playoff series to win the provincial championship.

“We had an unbelievable year, an unbelievable team,” Young said. “We drafted a good team ever since the start. I think we were a very fast team. We weren’t the biggest or most physical team, but we were fast, we could move pucks, we could score goals and for the most part, we could keep goals out of our net too.”

Young had five goals, 33 assists and 28 penalty minutes in 25 games with Regina Pats Blue. His production rose in the playoffs with five goals and seven assists in nine games.

“I’m more of an offensive defenceman but I can still play defence at a good level,” Young said. “I think my skating is one of the key aspects of my game. I think I have great vision on the ice, I read the play well, and I’d say I’m very smart.

“I understand the game at a very high level.”

His to-do list includes improving his shot, something he works on every day now that the season is over. He also wants to get stronger and gain lots of weight from muscle.

When draft day rolled around last week, he convinced his father he should stay home from school and keep an eye on the proceedings.

“I was sitting on the couch and I had it projected onto the TV,” Young said. “My dad was downstairs doing some work and I saw my name and ran downstairs saying “I got drafted to Brandon!” and he said ‘That’s awesome!’

“It just turned into a great moment.”

Since he lives in a WHL market, he certainly has a good understanding of the league and said it’s always been his goal to play major junior one day. That’s made him more of a student of the game than a diehard fan, which was useful in the Connor Bedard era.

“I don’t really cheer for any team but I like players,” Young said. “I like watching. I’ve been to quite a few Pats games.”

With the draft now out of the way, something he admits is a bit of a relief, he can now turn his attention 360 kilometres to the east. He’s been in Brandon before because his grandparents meet him in the city to drive him up to northern Manitoba where they live.

But his next trip to the Wheat City will be his first opportunity to make an impression on the Wheat Kings brass at camp in the fall. He can’t wait.

“I’m very excited,” Young said. “I’ve got multiple texts from different players on the team saying they’re excited to meet me. I’m just super excited for August camp.”

“I think it shows I’m wanted there and they have a great leadership group and they care for their players,” he added.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

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