Caleb Reimer was the first Surrey-area player selected in WHL Bantam Draft on Thursday (May 2).
At a conference centre in Red Deer, Alta., the right-shot centre was selected in the first round, 18th overall, by Edmonton Oil Kings.
The six-foot-two, 180-pound Reimer last played with Delta Hockey Academy’s Bantam Prep Green team, netting 18 goals and 27 assists in 30 games during the 2018-19 campaign before adding two goals and an assist in two playoff games.
“Caleb is a big forward with a lot of upside and someone we’re excited is joining our group,” Oil Kings director of scouting, Jamie Porter, said in a release posted to the Oil Kings’ website. “Caleb possesses excellent puck skills and is a highly coveted power forward for our future.”
Your #OilKings Director of Scouting, Jamie Porter, gives his thoughts on 1st round selection Caleb Reimer. #2019WHLBantamDraft #allhail pic.twitter.com/EG0PGR8kZh
— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) May 2, 2019
Thirteen players were selected from Canadian Sports School Hockey League teams in the first round.
Among them, North Delta-raised winger Niall Crocker, also of DHA, was picked by Prince Albert Raiders at 22nd overall.
At first overall, the Winnipeg Ice, a team recently moved to the Manitoba city from the Kootenay region, chose Matthew Savoie (St. Albert, Alta. / Northern Alberta Xtreme Bantam Prep).
Of the 22 players selected in the first round, 14 are forwards and eight defencemen. Of those, 11 came from B.C., with seven from Alberta, three from Manitoba and one from Saskatchewan.
In total, 228 players were selected in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft, with 129 forwards, 77 defencemen and 22 goaltenders selected.
Complete draft results are posted at whl.ca/draft.
Other Surrey-area players selected in the draft include Kyle Chyzowski (58th overall, Portland), Matteo Sjoberg (97th, Tri-City), White Rock’s Ben Feenan (121st, Tri-City), Mateo Mrsis (141st, Seattle),
With the 30th-overall pick, the Vancouver Giants chose Joshua Niedermayer, a Penticton-raised defenceman with Okanagan Hockey Bantam Prep.
In 27 games this season with OHA, Niedermayer scored 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points to go along with 26 penalty minutes. Niedermayer, a duel citizen, checks in at 5’11”, 190 pounds and is a left-handed shot. His father is NHL Hall of Fame defenceman Scott Niedermayer.
With the 43rd overall selection the Giants selected forward Bowden Singleton (Calgary, AB) from the Northern Alberta Bantam Prep program.
DHA defenceman Damian Palmieri was selected 87th overall by the Giants, while fellow North Deltan Merik Erickson, a goaltender with BWC Academy, was chosen 229th overall by Red Deer.
Players eligible for the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft were 2004-born players residing in Alberta, B.C., Manitoba, Saskatchewan and western states of the U.S.
Alberta led all provincial branches with 68 players selected in Thursday’s draft. Sixty players from B.C. were selected, with 33 from Manitoba, 30 Saskatchewan players and 37 more selected from the U.S.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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