ESTEVAN - A local hockey product was among the young players selected in the Western Hockey League (WHL) Draft on Thursday.
Carter Onrait, a 15-year-old forward currently with the Estevan Eclipse Downhole Solutions U18 AAA Bears, was picked in the seventh round, 144th overall, by the Prince George Cougars.
Onrait has played his development hockey in Estevan. In his first year of U18 hockey, he has five goals in 25 games for the Bears.
He had three points in two games in an abbreviated U15 season with the Estevan TS&M AA Bruins in 2020-21, and eight goals and 20 points in 31 games in his first season at the U15 level in the 2019-20 season.
One other member of the Bears was drafted on Thursday. Cutter Knight, a defenceman from Swift Current, was selected in the seventh round, 149th overall, by the Kelowna Rockets. Knight has a goal and five points in 24 games for the Bears this season.
The draft featured 2006-born talent. Traditionally it is held in the spring, and features players who just wrapped up their time in U15 hockey. But this year the draft was held in December, so the players chosen are in their first season of U18 hockey.
