The Yorkton Terriers made four selections in last week鈥檚 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League draft.
In the first round the Terriers took Carter Herman, the ninth overall pick in the draft. Playing Bantam in Swift Current last season, he had 13 goals and 26 assists in 27 games.
Terrier head coach and general manager Mat Hehr said like all players selected in the Bantam draft Herman is not expected to start the season in Yorkton, but he should be part of the plan in the season ahead. As it stands he is expected to play AAA Midget in Swift Current this fall. He is brother to Terrier listed goaltender Jacob Herman.
Dustin Renas was the Terriers second round selection, taken 21st overall. He played with the Saskatoon Maniacs last season with 33 goals and 34 assists.
鈥淗e鈥檚 (Renas) a big, strong kind of power forward who can put the puck in the net,鈥� offered Hehr.
The Terriers selected Luke Korte in the third round, 33rd overall. He had 19 goals and 40 assists in 28 games played with the West Van Warriors in Vancouver.
Hehr explained Korte is from Saskatoon, and played his first year of Bantam in the Saskatchewan city before moving west to attend prep school.
鈥淗e鈥檚 actually a player we watched lots in his first year of Bantam,鈥� said the Terrier coach, adding through contacts in B.C. they kept tabs on the prospect, liking what they heard.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a very fast, very stylish, very skilled with the puck.|
Korte was taken in the third round of the Western Hockey League Bantam draft, but at 5-foot-2 may be undersized for the league, and Hehr hopes that may open the door to him being a future Terrier.
As it stands Korte will play AAA Midget with the Saskatoon Contacts this fall.
In the sixth round the Terriers took Tylan Hendrickson with the 69th overall pick. Hendrickson played with the Yorkton AA Bantams last season, with 10 goals and 26 assists in 27 games.
Hendrickson, who hails from Foam Lake is someone 鈥渨e definitely had our eye on,鈥� said Hehr, adding 鈥渉e鈥檚 going to be a big pick-up for us.鈥�
The Terriers also inked several players last week, who unlike the Bantam picks, should factor into the mix for this fall. They include Yorkton AAA Midget Mauler Prescott Senger, who had five goals and six assists last season.
鈥淗e鈥檚 (Senger) going to be a big body who throws his weight around,鈥� said Hehr, adding he has the hands to put the puck in the net too. 鈥�... He鈥檚 going to add some much needed size that I thought the line-up lacked last season.鈥�
From the AAA Midget Warriors in Moose Jaw Parker Jasper has inked a deal to attend the Terrier main camp in the fall.
Parker played two games with the Terriers as an affiliated player.
鈥淗e鈥檚 (Parker) going to be a very dynamic, smooth-skating defenceman,鈥� said Hehr, who added at present he is pencilled in as a top-four D-man.
Vaughn Watterodt joins the Terriers from the Battlefords AAA Midget team where he played as a 16-year-old. He had 13 goals and 18 assists in 40 AAA Midget games.
鈥淲e think he鈥檚 guy who鈥檚 going to step in and play a top-nine (forward) role,鈥� he said, noting that Watterodt played all four playoff games with the Terriers earlier this year.
Blair Boulerice also signed to play with Yorkton. He is a 19-year-old out of Edmonton who played Junior 鈥楤鈥� last season.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a kid I鈥檝e had my eye on the last two seasons,鈥� said Hehr, adding at Junior 鈥楤鈥� he put up some 60-points, so will be expected to play top-six forward minutes this season.
