As a 14-year-old hockey player there is not much greater dream than being drafted to the Western Hockey League and for two local players that dream became a reality.
The WHL held their Bantam Draft on May 4 in Calgary and saw a pair of locals drafted, with Star City’s Rylan Donald taken by the Kelowna Rockets, and Nipawin’s Davis Chorney by the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Rylan Donald
The Rockets took Donald, a 5’10” 151 lb defenseman, in the fourth round, 83rd overall.
“[It was] really exciting to go that high. For me it was a pretty good honour to be drafted by them. They’re a great organization and they send a lot of people to the NHL so it was very exciting for me to get drafted by them,” Donald noted.
Donald enjoyed a steady season on the blueline for the North East Wolfpack where he put up four goals, and 13 assists in 24 regular season games, before adding a pair of goals and one assist in five playoff games.
Lorne Frey, the Rockets’ assistant general manager and director of player personnel, was really pleased to be able to draft Donald, noting he has been on their radar for a couple of years.
“The thing we like about him he’s got great skating ability, he’s very mobile, he’s smart, he can handle pressure, makes good decisions... we’re pleased to get him and we think he’s a good prospect.”
Donald, like many young defensemen is still relatively raw in his own zone, noted Frey, who says his biggest area of focus will be on improving his defensive play.
Donald will get his first chance to make an impression on the Rockets coaching staff at the annual prospects camp later this summer.
“I think it will be really important for me to get there just to get a feel of what it will take to get to that level and how much I need to improve over the next three to four years to get there,” Donald said looking ahead to that camp.
As for next season, Donald will be plying his trade with the Yorkton Maulers in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League, which will be really important for his development, he said.
“It will be important to play there for a good time, get coached by the great coaches there. It will be important to be taught lots of stuff, get lots of feedback and learn new stuff there.”
Donald says his goal will be to make the jump to the WHL as a 17 or 18-year-old, while Frey says a lot of that will depend on how much he develops with the Maulers.
“We don’t rush our young players here. It’s tough with young defensemen trying to get them in on a regular basis. As a 16-year-old it’s difficult, it’s a tough position to play so we’re hoping, never say never but likely two years from now if this is the road he chooses to take.”
Davis Chorney
Chorney, a 5’10” 175lb forward, was the last player drafted as the Tigers took him in the 14th round, 307th overall.
“It was great. I was kind of doubting myself there at the end because I got drafted last but it was a great feeling when I finally got drafted,” he said.
Chorney put up a solid year with the North East Wolfpack scoring 28 goals, while adding 21 assists in 29 regular season games and four goals, and five assists in five playoff games.
Despite putting up tremendous numbers offensively it was his work ethic that attracted the Tigers, noted Darren Kruger, the Tigers’ senior director of player development.
“The way he plays, he’s a physical player, he protects the puck well, he works the boards well so it’s one of those guys that is going to bring a little weight and has a great work ethic to go along with it.”
Chorney’s size also fits in very well in this year’s Tigers draft class, which featured a number of smaller players, said Kruger.
“I talked with my Saskatchewan scout a little bit and he had mentioned that Davis would be a good fit within our group because we didn’t have a lot of size with our draft... he was a goal a game kind of guy all season as well so he can put the puck in the net as well.”
After having been drafted as the last pick, Chorney admits that he feels less pressure to make the leap to the WHL but says it also lit a fire under him.
“I want to prove myself that I am one of the top players.”
Looking ahead Chorney will be heading to Medicine Hat for their annual prospects camp at the beginning of June and said that experience will be invaluable as he gets set for the next couple of years.
“It’s the next level up and that experience is huge because it’s that other level higher.”
Chorney, like most prospects, will need to develop his skating as he get older, noted Kruger.
“We’d like to see everybody’s skating improve and it will as he matures and gets stronger. I think that’s one area that he’s going to have to improve on.”
The next level of that development will see Chorney play midget AAA hockey with the Tisdale Trojans, which will be great, he says.
“I can be on the ice every day with Tisdale and being away from home you learn a lot of aspects like how to deal with problems without your parents being there.”
As for when he makes the jump to the WHL, Chorney says his goal is to play as a 16-year-old, while Kruger says a lot of that will depend on his development this season.
