So, if I have this right, going off players who were on their roster at the end of the 2018-19 season, the Seattle Thunderbirds had four players selected at the 2019 NHL Draft this past weekend in Vancouver. That was the most of any WHL team. Let me say that again, that was the most of any WHL team. In a draft that was one of the best for the WHL in recent memory, Seattle led the way. Yes, technically, at the time of the draft, Dillon Hamaliuk was officially a member of the Kelowna Rockets, after being traded there by the T-birds back in early May. But let's not kid ourselves, he hasn't played a game for Kelowna and won't for another three months. He was drafted off of his body of work as a Thunderbird.
What does this mean for the team going forward? Well, don't look at those draft results and start thinking the team is ready for a Chynoweth Cup run this coming season. Again, Hamaliuk, the highest of those to be drafted, going in the second round, 55th overall to San Jose, has been dealt away. Goalie Roddy Ross, chosen by Philadelphia in Round Six, is going into his 19 year old season while Florida Panthers seventh rounder Matthew Wedman, as a 20 year old, is entering his final year in the league. Only Panthers fifth round pick, 18 year old Henrik Rybinski was drafted in his first year of draft eligibility. Those older players will be surrounded by a fairly green squad.
Instead, go back to comments made by the organization after their 2017 Championship season and the idea of building a culture around the team that will attract players to Kent. Developing players for the next level is part of that attraction. Having players drafted into the NHL boosts your stock while recruiting players to be T-birds. Seattle wants the "T-bird way" to be both competing for Chynoweth Cups and producing talent for the next level. The movers and shakers at the top of the organizational chart, from the owners to the coaching staff, are committed to that goal.
Over the past five years the T-birds have reached two league championship series, winning one, AND have had 16 players either drafted or signed to pro contracts. They've drafted other players, like Dante Fabbro and Layton Ahac, who chose a different path, but ended up as high NHL picks. They'll miss on a few, but the choise is still the right one because they want the best players to help build that culture. More are coming.
Franchise brass like owners Dan and Lindsay Leckelt, Vice President of Hockey Operations Russ Farwell and General Manager Bil LaForge have a plan in place to keep the T-birds competitive. Others like Director of Player Personnel Cal Filson, Director of Scouting Mark Romas and head coach Matt O'Dette are helping to execute that plan.
They turned a player unhappy with his playing situation at his last stop (Rybinski) into an NHL draft pick in four months time. They took an off-the-radar goalie and helped him hear his name called from the podium in Vancouver. They brought out enough in a player (Hamaliuk) so that despite missing half a season to serious injury, he still got picked in the second round. And they brought along another player (Wedman), nurtured him, were patient with him, gave him more responsibility over the course of four seasons and turned him into a NHL draft pick as well.
Now, think about what the T-birds have done over the past two Bantam Drafts. They had a lot of picks at the top of the draft. Three first rounders and four second rounders. They've already signed 11 of their 22 picks from those two drafts, including six of the seven they chose near the top of those drafts. That's not by accident. Winning and developing players drives other players to your organization.
What happened this weekend in Vancouver means something, not necessarily now or next season, but down the road. It's another building block in constructing that winning culture. It's as important as winning a championship or having an uber-talent come through your organization on the way to winning a Calder Trophy at the highest level. It's another page in the recruitment brochure. When young players like Kai Uchacz and Mekai Sanders, or Jordan Gustafson and Conner Gourley, arrive at training camp at the end of August they'll see Rybinski, Ross and Wedman. They'll see the fruits of doing things the "T-birds Way". They'll see that coming here can lead them to an opportunity to reach the same goal.
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