DOMINATING THE DRAFT

It was a typical Western Hockey League Draft year for the RINK Hockey Academy’s U15 Prep stars. It was all about quantity. Granted, there were no first- or second-round selections, but as the RINK does every year, it prepares hockey players for the WHL and this year, starting with Daxon Yerex in the third round (52nd overall), there were eventually eight RHA 2008-born players selected in the 2023 Prospects Draft. The RINK Hockey Academy usually has 7-10 players selected every year and this spring, it was no different. RHA’s history suggests that the program prepares young men to take the next step and this year the WHL scouts believed that eight of them will soon be ready. And as U15 Prep head coach Brad Purdie has always pointed out, even the players who aren’t selected will, at some point, find themselves with opportunities to attend various WHL training camps. “I was pleasantly surprised, for sure,” Purdie said when asked about this year’s draft. “That being said, there were a couple I thought might have gone.” “But good for the guys who were drafted. Their hard work this year has paid off and people have recognized that. The message to all of them now is, ‘This is just the beginning of everything.’ They have been chosen by a team, now it’s up to them to make sure the team made the right choice, to keep fighting and get better, stronger, bigger, faster, all that stuff to earn a spot.” Purdie was not surprised that Yerex was the first to go. He has size, speed and what the coach calls, “A high ceiling.” “Dax is a great kid,” said Purdie. “He’s a big-bodied defenceman who probably could have played for us last year. He was raw at the start of the year, but he’s certainly starting to find his game. For me, he’s definitely gaining that confidence to rush the puck and take a few more chances. “He has a really good stick, a great shot and he’s a really good kid. He was voted as one of our assistant captains by his peers. He’s super coachable and comes from a great family. He’s just a really good kid and everything we want in a player.” While Yerex was the first to be selected, he wasn’t the last. Let’s meet the eight RINK Hockey Academy players selected in this year’s WHL Prospects Draft. With comments by head coach Brad Purdie. 9 DAXON YEREX // D // OAK BLUFF // 6’2” 175 LBS ROUND 3 // 52ND OVERALL // SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS “He’s a big, strong defenceman who defends really well and has an offensive upside. He’s just a solid defender.” 94 KOY FUNK // F //PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE // 6’1” 187 LBS ROUND 4 // 77TH OVERALL // CALGARY HITMEN “He’s a big forward who can make plays. He has to play big and get to the net. I think he’s going to be a good player. The potential is there.” 97 ZACH LANSARD // F // STE. ANNE // 5’7” 126 LBS ROUND 4 // 78TH OVERALL // REGINA PATS “He’s a skilled playmaker with a nose for the net.” 21 JETT DESCHAMPS // D // HEADINGLEY // 5’6” 116 LBS ROUND 5 // 96TH OVERALL // REGINA PATS “He’s a skilled defenceman who sees the ice well.” 1 PEYTON SHORE // G // WINNIPEG // 5’11” 145 LBS ROUND 5 // 100TH OVERALL // RED DEER REBELS “He’s a gamer, he competes.” 91 MADDOX MALMQUIST // F // EAST ST. PAUL // 5’5” 119 LBS ROUND 8 // 173RD OVERALL // REGINA PATS “He has a very high hockey IQ. He’s a very good playmaker and is deceptively quick. Once he gets a step on a guy, most guys aren’t going to catch him.” 27 WYATT KELMAN // D // HEADINGLEY // 5’11” 144 LBS ROUND 11 // 233RD OVERALL // TRI-CITY AMERICANS “He’s a solid defenceman who has a real good shot and sees the ice well.” 43 JOSH SHAGANYA // D // WINNIPEG // 5’10” 153 LBS ROUND 12 // 250TH OVERALL // SWIFT CURRENT BRONCOS “He’s a hard-working, competitive, tenacious defenceman.” Purdie wanted to make sure that players who weren’t drafted are still on the minds of a lot of the WHL scouts and GMs. After all, players not selected in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft will remain eligible to be listed by WHL clubs at any time thereafter. As he always reminds players, “The draft is the beginning, not the end.” “Players who aren’t drafted start to feel a little down about themselves,” Purdie explained. “But often, before they know it, they’re getting letters from WHL teams inviting them to training camps. We’ve had a number of players get listed by teams the day after the draft. These guys have to remember, the hard work starts now.”