Game On Magazine - April 2017 Game on Preview Edition | Page 62

Six more Manitobans selected
on day two of NHL draft
1. Morgan Geekie, 2. Nick Henry, 3. Brett Davis, 4. Josh Brook, 5. Wyatt Kalynuk, 6. Stelio Mattheos
B y S c o t t Tay l o r
CHICAGO – Josh Brook from
Roblin was the first Manitoba
player selected on Day 2 of
the 2017 National Hockey
League’s entry draft. However,
it didn’t end there. In total,
six Manitobans were selected
on Day 2, bringing the total
number of Manitoba-born and
trained players selected in the
draft to eight.
After Nolan Patrick was
taken second and Cody
Glass was taken sixth on
Day 1, Brook went 56th to
Montreal, Morgan Geekie
from Strathclair went 67th
to Carolina, Stelio Mattheos
from Winnipeg went 73rd to
Carolina, Nick Henry from
Portage la Prairie went 94th
to Colorado, Brett Davis
from Oakbank went 163rd
to Dallas and Wyatt Kalynuk
from Virden went 196th to
Philadelphia.
There were three surprises.
Ty Lewis from Brandon, a
leftwinger with the Brandon
Wheat Kings, was ranked 59th
by Central Scouting and was
not chosen while Colt Conrad
from St. Alphonse, a center at
Western Michigan University
was ranked 194th by Central
Scouting and was also, not
selected.
The other surprise was
Kalynuk, a former member of
the MJHL’s Virden Oil Capitals,
Kalynuk was not ranked by
central Scouting. However,
he’s off to the University of
Wisconsin this year and was
taken late by the Flyers.
6 2 | G AM E O N | S E P T EM BER 2 0 1 7
In total, there were eight
Manitoba players selected in
the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
Their mid-season rankings and
final season rankings are in
parentheses (see sidebar). The
Draft was held in Chicago on
June 23 and 24.
“It was a great day for my
family and I’m just so happy,”
said Winnipegger Stelio
Mattheos who was taken by
the Carolina Hurricanes. “I was
selected by a great organization
and while it was nerve-racking,
for sure, to hear my name
called was really special. My
family has been huge in this
and it’s a great day for all of us.”
Mattheos will play for the
Brandon Wheat Kings this
coming season and says he’s
going to have a great year. He
loves the Wheat Kings and
while he’s developed a close
bond with all the players, he’s
very close to roommate Linden
McCorrister from Peguis.
“Brandon has been good for
me,” he said. “In my first year
as a 16-year-old, we went to
the Memorial Cup and we had
so many great players I was
able to learn from. This past
year was a bit tougher for us,
but it was a positive year for
me in terms of developing.
“I want to have a breakout
year in the WHL this season.
This season is going to be huge
for me and I want to prove
everyone wrong who didn’t
select me today.” ❍
THE 2017 NHL DRAFT