Wheat Kings pleased with infusion of talent

After taking a forward on Wednesday in the first round, the Brandon Wheat Kings grabbed four more forwards, three defencemen and a goalie as the Western Hockey League draft finished up on Thursday.

Brandon director of player development Chris Moulton was pleased with the team’s work at the draft, which was been conducted remotely since the pandemic.

“It was a great day,” Moulton said. “We got a great player (forward Rylan Edwards) in the first round, we moved back three picks and got him. The fact a player (defenceman Marko Malbasa) we looked at possibly taking at 18, we get as 42.

“Then with the pick we acquire in the trade, we get an amazing kid from Minnesota (Mason Corkish), who is a helluva player and has a great family, and then just adding everybody else into it, it was a great day.”

Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray, who deferred to the scouts in the Wheat Kings board room, was happy with what he saw.

“It went really well,” Murray said. “I’m sure everybody goes ‘We had this player ranked much higher,’ but it really felt that way. I thought it was a pretty solid draft.”

The Wheat Kings drafted Regina’s Edwards on Wednesday with the 18th overall pick in the first round after trading down three spots with the Saskatoon Blades.

On Thursday, their first pick was 42nd overall in the second round, and they nabbed six-foot-one, 155-pound defenceman Malbasa of St. Andrews, which is located near Winnipeg. “I was just in class and it was very exciting to see my name go to a team in Manitoba,” Malbasa said. “I get to stay close to home and have my family come out to games. It’s not a far drive so it’s pretty awesome.”

The big defenceman spent last season with Rink Hockey Academy Winnipeg’s U15 prep squad, where he showed a mixture of offensive ability with 31 points, and snarl with 56 penalty minutes.

He also served 10 minutes in the penalty box in a pair of callups to the U18 squad.

“I’m a defence-first type of player who is going to bring a physical presence every game,” Malbasa said. “I add some secondary offence whenever I can.”

Moulton said the team had Malbasa ranked as the best player in Manitoba.

With their third-round pick, which they acquired from the Blades on Wednesday, the Wheat Kings picked up Corkish of Cottage Grove, Minn. If that surname sounds familiar, it should.

He is the younger brother of former Wheat Kings prospect Owen Corkish, who was released prior to the change in NCAA eligibility after he was unwilling to commit to playing in major junior. The elder Cornish subsequently joined the Prince Albert Raiders after the rules changed and he had 32 points in his 18-year-old rookie season with the Raiders, who begin the WHL final against the Everett Silvertips tonight.

“We were fully comfortable,” Moulton said of drafting Mason. “He wants to be a Wheat Kings, his parents want him to be a Wheat King. He’s comfortable with us, his family is comfortable with us and we’re comfortable with the family so that made a big difference.”

After sitting out the fourth round without a pick, Brandon grabbed five Albertans in the next few rounds, forward Austin Rideout of Fort McMurray, defenceman Nate Harrington of Edmonton, forward Lachlan Kisio of Calgary — the grandson of former National Hockey Leaguer Kelly Kisio — defenceman Lucas Seidel of Sundre and goalie Kasen Nuttall of Lethbridge.

Nuttall had a .931 save percentage with the Calgary CNHA Northstars U15 AAA squad.

The players brought a combination of speed and grit, something Moulton said is important for the club.

“It’s a tough division and other teams draft similarly,” Moulton said. “It’s not about size, it’s about pushback and compete. We think regardless of how big our kids are, big or small, we wanted guys who competed every night and pushed back and weren’t afraid to play in tough spots.

“We made sure almost every guy we got had some type of sandpaper in their game.”

Brandon leaned heavily into the Canadian Sport School Hockey League, taking seven prep players and just two from the AA or AAA ranks, all of them after the eighth round following the Seidel selection.

They also took five Albertans in a row, something Moulton said was due to how the draft went.

“Where our kids come from is totally unintentional,” Moulton said. “I can tell you five Saskatchewan kids that got picked a pick or two before we picked, and I can tell you three or four Manitoba kids that got picked just before we picked. “There was a lot of frustration today but that’s the draft process. I’m sure we frustrated people.”

Moulton said the biggest surprise he saw was the sheer volume of draftable players who weren’t taken, which will make the process of issuing camp invitations pretty easy.

The league-wide breakdown included 15 players taken from Manitoba, 33 from Saskatchewan, 54 from Alberta, 44 from British Columbia and 59 from the United States. By state, it was 34 from Minnesota, eight from Texas, five from California, four from Colorado, two each from Alaska, Arizona and North Dakota, and one from Idaho and Michigan.

With the decision to end the separate U.S. priority draft, American players were involved for the first time since the NCAA changed its rules on major junior eligibility.

That created a massive learning curve this spring.

“It was huge, even for us,” Moulton said. “It was a real interesting year. We’re real happy with our group but we thought it was a challenging year and challenging draft.”

ICINGS: Next up for WHL teams is the Canadian hockey league import draft, which will be held after the National Hockey League draft, likely in early July. The CHL has not announced the date yet … The younger brother of Wheat Kings forward Joby Baumuller, Jax, was taken by the Moose Jaw Warriors in the sixth round … The first team to pass was in the ninth round when the Vancouver Giants didn’t use the scheduled 187th pick. By the end of the ninth round, nine other teams followed suit and ended their day … The Penticton Vees selected Jake Gerstenbuhler, the son of short-time Wheat Kings defenceman Mike, who Brandon took in the sixth round in 1996 and played five games over two seasons … The final pick of the draft, which was scheduled to be 293rd without all the passes, was forward David Ring, who played at Rink Hockey Academy Winnipeg. He was grabbed in the 13th round by the Kelowna Rockets at 4:37 p.m.

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

 

WHL DRAFT

ROUND 1
#1. Kelowna: Madden Daneault, F, Red Deer, Alta. #2. Wenatchee: Parker McMillan, F, Surrey, B.C.: #3. Vancouver: Eli Vickers, D, Surrey, B.C.: #4. Vancouver: Brayden Jugnauth, F, Kelowna, B.C.: #5. Wenatchee: Jevin Morrison, D, Sylvan Lake, Alta.; #6. Tri-City: Kenzo Gibson, F, North Vancouver; #7. Seattle: Wyatt Jolleys, F, Calgary; #8. Kamloops: Micah Montgomery, F, Edmonton; #9. Regina: Fletcher MacDonald, G, Edmonton; #10. Portland: Cullen Stephenson, F, Warman, Sask.; #11. Seattle: Jax Bubnick, D, Saskatoon, Sask.; #12. Spokane Brody Antignani, F, Calgary; #13. Everett: Wyatt Bitz, D Saskatoon, Sask.; #14. Lethbridge: Artello Forestal, F Edmonton; #15. Saskatoon: Teagan Dernisky, F, Delta, B.C.; #16. Spokane: Jack Arnold, F, North Richland Hills, Texas; #17. Red Deer: Danny Ramazanov, F, Saskatoon, Sask.; #18. Brandon: Rylan Edwards, F Regina; #19. Tri-City: Ethan Zhang, F, Plano, Texas; #20. Penticton: Liam Bordt, F, Langley, B.C.; #21. Medicine Hat: Max Osgood, F, Plymouth, Mich.; #22. Swift Current: Jacson Bradbeer, D, Maple Ridge, B.C.; #23. Swift Current: Nathan Roberts, D,Surrey, B.C.

ROUND 2
#24. Spokane: Braydon Lynam, D, Sherwood Park, Alta.; #25. Swift Current: Caleb Philp, RW, Shellbrook, Sask.; #26. Vancouver: Brady Leinenweber, D, Kerrobert, Sask.; #27. Swift Current: Easton Pitz, C, Virden, Man.; #28. Victoria: Kristian Lima, RW, Langley, B.C.; #29. Moose Jaw: Kobe Pellack, C, Warman, Sask.; #30. Kamloops: Mason Auger, D, East Grand Forks, Minn.; #31. Regina: Tyson Wolanski, D, Surrey, B.C.; #32. Saskatoon: Hayden Harvey, D, Edmonton; #33. Vancouver: Donovan Knapp, G, Clearwater, Minn.; #34. Seattle: Jett Evans, C, Strathmore, Alta.; #35. Regina: Kai Dingwall, LW, Calgary; #36. Calgary: Owen Ryan, G, White Bear Lake, Minn.; #37. Tri-City: Lincoln Baschuk, D, Edmonton; #38. Portland: Aidan Potash, D, Kelowna, B.C.; #39. Tri-City: Colton Nash, C, Shorewood, Minn.; #40. Edmonton: Brayden Dean, C, Maple Grove, Minn.; #41. Prince George: William Thompson, C, North Vancouver; #42. Brandon: Marko Malbasa, D, St. Andrews, Man.; #43. Calgary: Easton Mattersdorfer, C, Lethbridge, Alta.; #44. Medicine Hat: Nash Springer, D, McKinney, Texas; #45. Kamloops: Mazen Green, C, Surrey, B.C.; #46. Kamloops: Nixon Gaudet, C, Ile Des Chenes, Man.;
ROUND 3
#47. Seattle: Jace Magner, C, East Grand Forks, Minn.; #48. Red Deer: Keyn Lindberg, D, Calgary; #49. Moose Jaw: Gavin Craig, G, Langley, B.C.; #50. Lethbridge: Ronan Gow, C, Nanaimo, B.C; #51. Edmonton: Brock Vodden, C, Manitou, Man.; #52. Kelowna: Cole Chudyk, C, Lamont, Alta.; #53. Calgary: Charlie Fox, C, Austin, Texas; #54. Wenatchee: Luke Pierson, D, Bashaw, Alta.; #55. Medicine Hat: Shane Regehr, D, Calgary; #56. Portland: Arjun Mangadu, C, Livermore, Calif.; #57. Medicine Hat: Luke Bodtker, C, Calgary; #58. Lethbridge: Evan Cuthbertson, D, Kamloops, B.C.; #59. Kamloops: Marcus Phillips, LW, Coquitlam, B.C.; #60. Prince Albert: Caleb Mozell, C, Saskatoon, Sask.; #61. Tri-City: John Main, D, Duncan, B.C.; #62. Regina: Riley Rubidge, D, Regina; #63. Swift Current: Jesse Scriven, C, Warman, Sask.; #64. Edmonton: Brayden Lee, D, Waxahachie, Texas; #65. Vancouver: Spencer Wilmot, C, Littleton, Colo.; #66. Penticton: Tate Bergeson, LW, Moorhead, Minn.; #67. Brandon: Mason Corkish, C, Cottage Grove, Minn.; #68. Prince Albert: Noah Carignan, C, Langley, B.C.; #69. Everett: William Stinson, C, Excelsior, Minn.
ROUND 4
#70. Lethbridge: CJ Dornfeld, C, Woodbury, Minn.; #71. Red Deer: Connor Baines, C, Maple Ridge, B.C.; #72. Red Deer: Parker Bleich, D, Nipawin, Sask.; #73. Victoria: Jaxson Weisgerber, C, Sturgeon County, Alta.; #74. Vancouver: Zachary Pomeroy, D, Calgary; #75. Moose Jaw: Michael Puddicombe, D, North Vancouver; #76. Tri-City: Kane Strudwick, C, Edmonton; #77. Lethbridge: Chay Ekblad, G, Williston, N.D.; #78. Kelowna: Luke Trann, D, Prince Albert, Sask.; #79. Portland: Emmett Abel, C, Ardrossan, Alta.; #80. Kamloops: Carsten Patrick, D, Langley, B.C.; #81. Spokane: Matthew Tranby, D, Blaine, Minn.; #82. Penticton: Cody Paul, LW, Monument, Colo.; #83. Kamloops: Cohen Wood, G, Delta, B.C.; #84. Spokane: Owen Moulton, RW, Shakopee, Minn.; #85. Prince Albert: Sam Brenner, C, Lanigan, Sask.; #86. Swift Current: Max Davis, G, Vernon, B.C.; #87. Prince George: Connor King, D, Corona, Calif.; #88. Edmonton: Nate Lodge, D, Red Deer, Alta.; #89. Seattle: Braedan Gilbertson, D, Lorette, Man.; #90. Prince Albert: Nolan Scott, D, Anchorage, Alaska; #91. Wenatchee: Finn Visser, RW, Olds, Alta.; #92. Wenatchee: Graham Schumacher, RW, Cottage Grove, Minn.
ROUND 5
#93. Moose Jaw: Justin Castonguay, C, St. Albert, Alta.; #94. Swift Current: Keatyn Devlin, RW, Edmonton; #95. Saskatoon: Mason West, LW, St. Michael, Minn.; #96. Calgary: Koen Braunberger, C, Winnipeg; #97. Portland: Easton Scott, RW, Carrollton, Texas; #98. Red Deer: Charlie Pohl, RW, Woodbury, Minn.; #99. Tri-City: Steven Leavitt, LW, Sherwood Park, Alta.; #100. Moose Jaw: Kingston Dickie, D, White City, Sask.; #101. Wenatchee: Aidan Grabner, RW, Scottsdale, Ariz.; #102. Saskatoon: Joshua Koehler, C, Saskatoon, Sask.; #103. Everett: Bennet Boehm, D, Saskatoon, Sask.; #104. Calgary: Nash Tomchuk, D, Regina; #105. Brandon: Austin Rideout, LW, Fort McMurray, Alta.; #106. Seattle: Easton LaBarbera, G, Calgary; #107. Everett: Jaxson Wakefield, C, East Grand Forks, Minn.; #108. Medicine Hat: Nixon McLean, C, Kelowna, B.C.; #109. Portland: Kacy Turberfield, C, Meadow Lake, Sask.; #110. Prince George: Reed Sherry, C, St. Malo, Man.; #111. Tri-City: Brady Piec, D, Oakbank, Man.; #112. Victoria: Brody Trost, RW, Los Altos, Calif.; #113. Medicine Hat: Tyler Thomas, D, Lethbridge, Alta.; #114. Prince Albert: Logan Chang, D, Burnaby, B.C.; #115. Prince George: Lachlan Vandall, LW, Prince Albert, Sask.
ROUND 6
#116. Lethbridge: Knox Kehler, C, Yellow Head County, Alta.; #117. Portland: Nathan Johnson, D, Vernon, B.C.; #118. Moose Jaw: Bridger Unchulenko, D, Esterhazy, Sask.; #119. Spokane: Donovan Klin, C, Eden Prairie, Minn.; #120. Lethbridge: Kai Genereaux, D, Meadow Lake, Sask.; #121. Red Deer: Kash Andersen, G, Wainwright, Alta.; #122. Kelowna: Zachary Martin, D, Maple Grove, Minn.; #123. Regina: Carter Bleau, D, Gull Lake, Sask.; #124. Moose Jaw: Damon James, RW, Swift Current, Sask.; #125. Moose Jaw: Alex Dyrland, F, Winnipeg; #126. Prince Albert: Maguire Hendry, D, Nokomis, Sask.; #127. Red Deer: Madden Atkinson, D, Swan River, Man.; #128. Everett: Brock Stauss, LW, East Grand Forks, Minn.; #129. Spokane: Connor Martinson, C, Duluth, Minn.; #130. Brandon: Nate Harrington, D, Edmonton; #131. Calgary: Stephen Belde, D, Woodbury, Minn.; #132. Kelowna: Cohen Short, C, Kelowna, B.C.; #133. Prince George: Grady Fuller, D, White Bear Lake, Minn.; #134. Victoria: Madden Rome, D, Red Deer, Alta.; #135. Regina: Baze Hielscher, F, Windsor, Colo.; #136. Medicine Hat: Ryder Lefaivre, LW, Cochrane, Alta.; #137. Prince Albert: Alex Boldt, C, White Bear Lake, Minn.; #138. Kamloops: Ryker Stevens, C, Hayden, Id.
ROUND 7
#139. Lethbridge: Rowen Norrie, D, Calgary; #140. Moose Jaw: Jax Baumuller, C, Wilcox, Sask.; #141. Tri-City: Alexandre Montembeault, G, Calgary; #142. Seattle: Easton Holte, C, Hardisty, Alta.; #143. Moose Jaw: Brady Cook, D, Surrey, B.C.; #144. Red Deer: Carter Crowley, LW, Faribault, Minn.; #145. Wenatchee: Brayden Allan, G, Delta, B.C.; #146. Red Deer: Blake Schmitt, C, Edina, Minn.; #147. Red Deer: Brando Duncan, C, Irving, Texas; #148. Victoria: Renner Andersen, G, St. Louis Park, Minn.; #149. Vancouver: Landon Reschny, C, Macklin, Sask.; #150. Swift Current: Will Simpson, D, Vancouver; #151. Everett: Cole Nakrayko, C, Warman, Sask.; #152. Prince George: Jagger Korol, C, Regina; #153. Brandon: Lachlan Kisio, RW, Calgary; #154. Saskatoon: Jack Arnseniuk, D, Winnipeg; #155. Calgary: Joey Stewart, LW, Hastings, Minn.; #156. Prince George: Blake Sutherlin, G, San Jose, Calif.; #157. Edmonton: Champ Vannus, G, East St. Paul, Man.; #158. Kamloops: Cade Mazurski, LW, Rocky View County, Alta.; #159. Medicine Hat: Kelson Hawreluik, C, Yorkton, Sask.; #160. Saskatoon: Blake Pickens, G, Prior Lake, Minn.; #161. Kelowna: Jacob Fleming, G, Newport Beach, Calif.
ROUND 8
#162. Saskatoon: Brayden Lindsay, LW, Tumbler Ridge, B.C.; #163. Swift Current: Mason Fischer, D, White Bear Lake, Minn.; #164. Medicine Hat: Max Maas, D, Rosemount, Minn.; #165. Tri-City: Max Aldrich, D, Minnetonka, Minn.; #166. Victoria: Charlie Usher, C, Calgary; #167. Seattle: Malone Mann, D, Victoria, B.C.; #168. Edmonton: Jake Dunlop, C, Surrey, B.C.; #169. Wenatchee: Ben Edvinsson, LW, Agassiz, B.C.; #170. Victoria: Peyton Malinski, LW, Chandler Ariz.; #171. Medicine Hat: Landon Ruck, D, Osoyoos, B.C.; #172. Prince George: Jagger Burns, C, Englewood, Colo.; #173. Spokane: Jordan Bigelow, G, Burnaby, B.C.; #174. Kamloops: Farhan Haq, D, Southlake, Texas; #175. Saskatoon: Rylen Schneider, D, Edina, Minn.; #176. Brandon: Lucas Seidel, D, Sundre, Alta.; #177. Calgary: Thoedore Kim, C, Victoria, B.C.; #178. Kelowna: Jace Williams, LW, Cawston, B.C.; #179. Prince George: Kolbie McColl, D, Redvers, Sask.; #180. Prince George: Cruz Buchanan, C, St. Albert, Alta.; #181. Penticton: Jake Gerstenbuhler, C, Lethbridge, Alta.; #182. Everett: Liam Meier, LW, Stonewall; #183. Prince Albert: James Tucker, D, Eden Prairie, Minn.; #184. Everett: Hudson Waddell, G, Vancouver
ROUND 9
#185. Edmonton: Logan Schoettler, D, Edmonton; #186. Swift Current: Zack Ruptash, C, St. Albert, Alta.; #187. Vancouver: PASS; #188. Wenatchee: Jackson Fabian, D, Grand Forks, N.D.; #189. Portland: Cohen Spencer, G, Rocky View, Alta.; #190. Red Deer: PASS; #191. Tri-City: PASS; #192. Regina: Klay Weber, C, Edam, Sask.; #193. Brandon: Kasen Nuttall, G, Lethbridge, Alta.; #194. Portland: James Butterwick, LW, Calgary; #195. Seattle: Beckam Brodeur, D, Calgary; #196. Spokane: PASS; #197. Kamloops: PASS; #198. Saskatoon: Carson Brown, LW, Langley, B.C.; #199. Brandon: Wyatt Lowther, C, Maple Ridge, B.C.; #200. Calgary: PASS; #201. Seattle: PASS; #202. Saskatoon: PASS; #203. Edmonton: Cooper Lappi, LW, Victoria, Minn.; #204. Penticton: Mason Dalbec, C, Buffalo, Minn.; #205. Medicine Hat: PASS; #206. Moose Jaw: PASS; #207. Regina: Alex Kowalyk, RW, Battleford, Sask.
ROUND 10
#208. Lethbridge: PASS; #209. Swift Current: PASS; #211. Wenatchee: PASS; #215: Regina Pats – PASS; #216. Victoria: Kason Kobelka, G, Calgary; #222. Brandon: PASS; #224. Kelowna: Jasper Schelter, D, Calgary; #225. Prince George: PASS; #226. Edmonton: PASS; #227. Penticton: Declan Champagne, C, Winnipeg; #229. Prince Albert: Brooks Carlson, C, Anchorage, Alaska; #230. Everett: PASS
ROUND 11
#240. Portland: PASS; #247. Kelowna: Jayden Ni, C, Vancouver; #250. Penticton: Jace Zemanek, G, Port Alberni, B.C.; #252. Prince Albert: Kai Richards, RW, St. Albert, Alta.
ROUND 12
#270. Kelowna: Taylor Mowbray, C, St. Albert, Alta.; #273. Penticton: PASS; #275. Prince Albert: PASS
ROUND 13
#293. Kelowna: David Ring, C, Winnipeg.