This is a big year for the bantamaged kids with their draft coming up , The kids in our program are comparing themselves to all the best kids right across the West
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ike most elite 14-year-old hockey players , RHA Nationals Bantam Stars Evan Herman and Jakob Brook can ’ t help but think about the upcoming Western Hockey League draft . They don ’ t let it interfere with their individual approaches to the task at hand – that ’ s playing well on a very good team – but it ’ s an annual ritual that still can ’ t be ignored . In Jakob Brook ’ s case , even his brother Josh , a star with the WHL ’ s Moose Jaw Warriors , has provided some advice . After all , Josh was selected by Moose Jaw in the first round ( fourth overall ) by the Warriors in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft and he knows what the pressure is like . “ Yeah , Josh has talked to me ,” Jakob said enthusiastically . “ He ’ s said don ’ t let it get to you . Just play your game and don ’ t let the pressure get into your head . Doesn ’ t matter who you are , just play your game . There is pressure on everyone in our league anyway -- to become a good player and to be able to impress the scouts from WHL teams and college teams . It doesn ’ t matter who you are or where you come from . You just have to play
This is a big year for the bantamaged kids with their draft coming up , The kids in our program are comparing themselves to all the best kids right across the West
well .” That seems like best anyone in this situation could give or get . If you work hard and play well , somebody is going to notice . And for players like Herman and Brook , playing at RHA has been important part of their development . If you ask WHL scouts , most would agree that the top players on the RHA Nationals Bantams who are draft eligible will be involved in this May ’ s selection process .
So when you ’ ve spent the season playing on a team that ’ s part of the Canadian School Sport Hockey League , a league that is recognized as the leader in education-based hockey , you know that you ’ ll be seen by more WHL scouts and you ’ ll have a chance to compare yourself to the best players in the West .
“ This is a big year for the bantam-aged kids with their draft coming up ,” said RHA Nationals Bantam Coach Brad Purdie . “ The kids in our program are comparing themselves to all the best kids right across the West . So if the scouts are talking about a kid from B . C . who is going be chosen first overall , our kids get to see that kid seven times and find where they are and how they stack up . “ It ’ s a real competitive advantage for our guys . It ’ s also a chance to get exposed to all the scouts right across the West . They get seen a lot . The scouts can also see these players all season . They can see where they started in September and where they are in March .” And for b o t h Herman and
Brook , that ’ s exactly what they were after when they decided to leave their homes outside Winnipeg – way outside Winnipeg – and attend RHA at the age of 14 . “ It ’ s been an unreal experience so far ,” said Herman , who came down from his home in The Pas and has just turned 15 . “ The coaching staff has done a great job this year . It ’ s just been a great time . This is probably the most fun I ’ ve ever had playing hockey . But it ’ s been more than just hockey . I ’ ve been able to go places that I haven ’ t been to before and I ’ ve had lots of fun with my teammates . And school is really good . I ’ m doing very well . “ I ’ m also ready for the draft . I ’ ve talked to a couple of guys . And we know the guys who run the Blizzard organization so we ’ ve also been talking to them . It ’ s something that ’ s alw a y s in the back o f
your mind , but I haven ’ t let it affect my play .” Herman started skating when he was two and started playing organized hockey in The Pas . Influenced by his older brother , who was a good hockey player , Herman fell in love with the game at a very early age . “ My brother was a hockey player and I always wanted to be like him ,” Evan said . “ I just followed him around
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