A number of Saskatchewan players, who either grew up or play in the province, were selected in this year’s draft over the Canada Day long weekend in Las Vegas.
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The 2024 NHL Draft had the Saskatchewan hockey pipeline flowing yet again.
A number of Saskatchewan players, who either grew up in the province or play in the province, were selected in this year’s draft held over the Canada Day long weekend down in Las Vegas.
Saskatoon’s Berkley Catton went No. 8 overall to Seattle Kraken. Catton, who racked up 116 points in 68 games this past season with the Western Hockey League’s Spokane Chiefs, grew up playing in Saskatoon Minor Hockey Association’s Redwings zone. He was the first SMHA player to get picked first overall in the WHL Bantam Draft when the Chiefs chose him No. 1 in 2021.
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The former Saskatoon Contacts winger thought he might end up with the Calgary Flames, his favourite team growing up, at No. 9 in this year’s NHL Draft, but the Kraken beat them to the punch, just one pick earlier.
BLADES’ GARDNER GOES TO COLUMBUS
Saskatoon Blades rookie netminder Evan Gardner was selected in the second round, 60th overall, by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The 6-foot-2 goalie had one of the best rookie seasons in franchise history. Gardner, 18, finished the 2023-24 campaign with a 21-5-0-2 record, leading the WHL in save percentage (. 927) and goals-against average (1.91) — both single-season franchise records for any Blades goalie with a minimum of 30 games played. Gardner’s four shutouts were tied for second in the league with teammate Austin Elliott.
Gardner, who hails from Fort St. John, B.C., helped Saskatoon capture its fifth Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy, awarded to the WHL’s top regular season team. The WHL finalist for rookie of the year and humanitarian of the year was a two-time WHL goalie of the week and three-time WHL rookie of the week.
Prince Albert product Tanner Howe, from the Regina Pats, was selected 46th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The former AAA Prince Albert Minto, who put up 77 points in 68 games this past season, joins Saskatoon product and former Contacts forward Brayden Yager in the Penguins organization.
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Former Saskatoon AAA Blazers defenceman Tarin Smith, who hails from Porcupine Plain, was selected 79th overall by the Anaheim Ducks. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Smith spent last season with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips and recorded 44 points in 67 games.
Melfort product Nate Misskey, a member of the WHL’s Victoria Royals, was drafted 143rd overall by the San Jose Sharks. Misskey has size at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. The blueliner, a former Prince Albert AAA Minto, had 34 points in 44 games with the Royals.
Chase Wutzke, a goaltender out of Debden who played for the Saskatoon AAA Contacts, was selected 142 overall by the Minnesota Wild. The 6-foot-2, 162-pound Wutzke had a .904 save-percentage and a 2.82 goals-against average in 36 games with the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels this past season.
Wutzke will be joined in the NHL Wild organization by Prince Albert Raiders forward Ryder Ritchie, a native of Calgary, who was selected 45th overall by the Wild. Ritchie averaged nearly a point a game with the Raiders this past season with 44 points in 47 games.
While a number of Saskatchewan players did see their name called, a few weren’t so fortunate. Saskatoon minor hockey product Josh Zakreski, who plays for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, was ranked 157 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting; and Matthew Van Blaricom, who spent this past season as a forward for the Humboldt Broncos in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, was rated at No. 139.
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Moose Jaw Warriors forward Pavel McKenzie, from Cumberland House, entered this year’s draft ranked No. 176 among North American skaters. The 6-foot, 176-pound McKenzie put up 15 goals and 36 points in 63 games as a WHL rookie.
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