There are four teams in the Western Hockey League that could have a little Yorkton flavour playing with them in the near future.
There are four local players who are property of the WHL now.
"I'm excited," offered former St. Michael's School student Matt Kustra.
Kustra left Yorkton for the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame where he joined the Hounds goaltending.
Last week he found out he could be joining that of the Prince George Cougars next.
"I'm happy. Yesterday was a good day," he said referring to the May 3 draft day which he got the good news.
Turner Ottenbreit played here for his dad this season. Next season he's not going to be anywhere near if things work out with the Saskatoon Blades.There are four teams in the Western Hockey League that could have a little Yorkton flavour playing with them in the near future.
He originally would have been property of the Kamloops Blazers but they traded that pick to the Blades who took Ottenbreit with pick 261.
"At 6'0 tall, Turner is a kid with good size and a good frame," said Blades assistant general manager Jarrod Brodsky, on the Blades web site.
"He's a solid skater with some puck skill and the ability to play physical."
Evan Werle, of Langenburg, is also spending the season at the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, heard his name called out during the draft too.
Rounding out the list is Chance Patterson of Foam Lake.
Like Ottenbreit, his pick was originally belonged to the Kamloops Blazers' but they traded it to Edmonton, who took Patterson with pick 107.
"He is thrilled with making the draft but knows that the work is just beginning and he hopes that he can someday make it to the WHL level of hockey," explains mom Carla in an email.
The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the club's of the WHL select players who have graduated from bantam. Players selected come from the four western provinces as well as Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming are eligible.
