Four players from the Kent-based Seattle Thunderbirds junior hockey team could be chosen during the 2015 NHL Draft on Friday and Saturday at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.
The first round is on Friday. Rounds two through seven are on Saturday. The first round will be broadcast on NBCSN.
The T-Birds have four players who are ranked in the NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings for draft eligible players. These four players, along with possibly two more, will be drafted by NHL teams this weekend.
• Mathew Barzal, 18, of Coquitlam, British Columbia, is ranked number 11 in the NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings for 2015 Draft eligible players. He just just finished his second season with the T-Bird and had 57 points on 12 goals and 45 assists. He had four goals and four assists in six playoff games. In two seasons with the T-Birds Barzal has 111 points on 26 goals and 85 assists in 103 games.
He was invited to Hockey Canada’s Summer Showcase on Wednesday. He will attend Canada’s World Junior Development Camp in Calgary. This is the first step in identifying the 22 players that will represent Canada at the 2016 World Junior Championship.
• Ryan Gropp, 18, of Kamloops, British Columbia, is ranked number 71. He has played two seasons with the T-Birds. Last season Gropp had 30 goals and 28 assists to lead the T-Birds in scoring with 58 points. In his rookie season Gropp had 18 goals and 24 assists for 52 points. In six playoff games he had a goal and seven assists.
• Keegan Kolesar, 18, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, is ranked number 65. He finished last season with 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points in 64 games. He did not play in the playoffs due to an injury. Kolesar had two goals and six assists for eight points in 60 games in his rookie season.
• Ethan Bear, 18, of Ochapowace, Saskatchewan, is ranked number 97. He just finished his second season with the T-Birds and had 38 points on 13 goals and 25 assists. He had a goal and two assists in six playoff games. In two seasons with the T-Birds Bear has 57 points on 19 goals and 38 assists in 128 games.
• Defenseman Turner Ottenbreit and center Alexander True could also possibly be drafted on the second day of the draft. Ottenbreit, 18, of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, had three goals and 10 assists for 13 points in 70 games this past season. He was acquired from the Saskatoon Blades at the start of the season for defenseman Adam Henry. Ottenbreit had an assists in six playoff games.
True, an 18-year-old from Copenhagen, Denmark, had 12 points on six goals and six assists in 38 games last season. He missed a significant amount of time with an arm injury. True had two goals in six playoff games.
Seattle’s home opener for the 2015-16 season is Saturday, Oct. 3, against the Prince George Cougars at 7:05 pm. at the ShoWare Center.
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