Pats stock the shelves in WHL bantam draft

The Regina Pats selected 11 players during the 2019 WHL bantam draft, which was conducted Thursday in Red Deer.

In the first round (17th overall), the Pats took defenceman Layton Feist from Coldstream, B.C.

The 5-foot-10, 150-pounder had eight goals and 14 assists in 20 games last season with the North Zone Kings bantam AA team.

“Layton has great offensive instincts from the back end,” Pats director of scouting Dale McMullin said in a media release. “He is a mobile defenceman with quick feet and he plays the game hard. We are happy to get him where we did in the first round.”

Feist is the younger brother of current Pats blueliner Tyson Feist.

Regina used its second-round pick (41st overall) to take centre Samuel Huck, who hails from Calgary. The 5-foot-6, 130-pounder recorded 56 points, including 33 goals, in 32 games with the Calgary Bisons AAA squad last season.

The Pats had three selections in the third round.

At No. 61, Regina took left-winger Zane Rowan. The 5-foot-9, 162-pounder from Torrance, Calif., put up three goals and six assists in 12 games with the Los Angeles Junior Kings last season.

Two picks later, the Pats selected goaltender Matthew Kieper. The 5-foot-9, 146-pound product of Winnipeg went 10-6-0 with a 2.06 goals-against average and .931 save percentage for the Winnipeg Sharks bantam AAA squad in the 2018-19 regular season.

Three picks after that, Regina drafted forward Braxton Whitehead out of Palmer, Alaska. The 5-foot-9, 130-pounder managed nine goals and nine assists in nine games with the Anchorage North Stars last season.

The Pats had back-to-back picks in the fifth round.

With the 90th overall selection, Regina took centre Kaiden Wiltsie. The 5-foot-9, 145-pounder put up 37 points, including 22 goals, in 31 games with his hometown Calgary Bisons AAA team during the 2018-19 regular season.

At No. 91, the Pats selected left-winger Carter Cormier from Kindersley. A 5-foot-9, 160-pounder, Cormier had eight goals and nine assists in 30 games with the Notre Dame Hounds bantam prep team last season.

In the seventh round (135th overall), Regina took defenceman Riley Applegate out of Marwayne, Alta. The 6-foot-0, 141-pound Applegate registered two goals and 10 assists in 18 games with the bantam AAA Lloydminster Bobcats last season.

Regina opened the eighth round (155th overall) by selecting defenceman Colby Woogk, a 5-foot-11, 181-pounder from Fort Worth, Texas. He had two goals and four assists in 12 games with the Dallas Junior Stars in 2018-19.

In the ninth round (179th overall), Regina took forward Brayden Barnett. The 6-foot-1, 164-pound product of Martensville recorded 23 goals and 23 assists in 29 regular-season games with his hometown bantam AA Marauders last season.

Seven picks later, the Pats took defenceman Jacob Dewitt out of Sicamous, B.C. A 6-foot-3, 175-pounder, Dewitt put up 14 points, including 13 assists, in 28 games with the Okanagan Hockey Academy bantam prep team during the 2018-19 campaign.

Dewitt was Regina’s final selection.

Four players from the Queen City were selected in the draft. Kyren Gronick (second round, 26th overall by the Prince George Cougars), Carter Briltz (fifth round, 102nd overall, Victoria Royals), Eric Johnston (sixth round, 126th overall, Edmonton Oil Kings) and Declan Cosford (10th round, 207th overall, Red Deer Rebels) were taken.

Two other products of southern Saskatchewan — Weyburn’s Dylan Ernst (second round, 28th overall, Kamloops Blazers) and Canora’s Carter Dereniwsky (second round, 39th overall, Victoria) – also were drafted.

Saskatoon’s Kevin Korchinski was the first player from this province selected. The Saskatoon Generals defenceman went 10th overall to the Seattle Thunderbirds.

The Winnipeg Ice had the first pick overall and used it on centre Matthew Savoie of St. Albert, Alta. — even though Savoie has committed to play in the NCAA. The Ice also had the No. 2 selection, with which it selected centre Conor Geekie of Strathclair, Man.