MHL Draft Sees Addition of Many Talented Prospects

The 2014 MHL Draft was held in Summerside, PEI this afternoon. 118 players over 10 rounds plus nine additional territorial pics were chosen including 78 forwards, 42 defensemen and seven goaltenders. 15 additional players had been claimed as territorial picks last week.

With the first pick in the MHL Draft, the St. Stephen County Aces selected Moncton Midget AAA Flyers forward Liam Conrad. The 5’9” 168 lbs. left winger scored 26 goals and added 20 assists in 35 regular season games. In addition, Conrad registered 13 points in 11 postseason games. In September, Conrad, a native of Sackville, New Brunswick, will be entering his 17 year old season.

The second pick in the draft belonged to the Bridgewater Lumberjacks. With that pick, the Lumberjacks added forward Dillon Boucher from the NSMAAA Halifax MacDonalds. With the Macs, the native of Head Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia posted 16 goals and 22 assists in 34 regular season games. In 17 playoff games, Boucher posted 19 points as his Halifax squad made it all the way to the Telus Cup National Midget Championships following their victory at the Atlantic Major Midget Championships. Boucher, entering his 17 year old season in the fall, was a 7^th round pick of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft.

With the third overall pick, the Campbellton Tigers went for a more experienced option by selecting forward Tyler Copeland of the Saint John Midget AAA Vitos. Copeland will enter his 18 year old season this fall. In 32 games with the Vitos, Copeland registered 40 points in 32 games while adding 18 points in 11 postseason games. The Sussex native played two games with the Tigers last season as a non-drafted affiliate player, potting one assist.

The Valley Wildcats stepped up the podium next and selected the first defenseman of the day, taking Dartmouth native Brandon Worthen from the Newbridge Academy Gladiators fourth overall. Worthen posted 22 points in 31 regular season games and an additional three assists in 17 postseason contests. Worthen was an eighth round selection of the Halifax Mooseheads in 2013 and suited up for five game with the QMJHL club.

With the fifth pick in the draft, it was time for the hosts to take to the stage for the first time. The Summerside Western Capitals added defenseman Sebastien Cormier. The Stratford, PEI native spent last season with the Charlottetown Midget AAA Islanders, racking up 14 points and 70 penalty minutes in 34 games during the regular season and five points in six playoff games. Coming off his 16 year old season, Cormier was an affiliate with the Western Capitals last year, appearing in two regular season games as well as all five Summerside playoff contests.

The sixth selection in the draft went to the Woodstock Slammers who picked forward Sam King from the Saint John Vitos. King, an eighth round selection of the QMJHL Blainville-Boisbriand Armada two weeks ago posted 40 points in 45 games between the regular season and playoffs. The defending Meek Division playoff champion Dieppe Commandos used the seventh pick in the draft to select another Saint John Vitos product, forward Adam Downey. In 44 regular season and playoff games, Downey racked up 29 points.

Picking ninth and tenth thanks to a draft day trade, the Amherst Ramblers first selected forward Jordan King of the Newfoundland MAAA Western Kings. King, a seventh round selection of the Halifax Mooseheads in 2013, posted 47 points in 24 games. Amherst then selected Cole Harbour Wolf Pack MAAA forward Andrew Dumaresque. In 45 regular season and playoff games combined, Dumaresque scored 40 points. Dumaresque was a twelfth round pick of the Charlottetown Islanders in the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft.

The Miramichi Timberwolves reached the podium next and with the eleventh pick selected forward Ryan MacDonald of the Newbridge Academy Gladiators. MacDonald, whose May 18^th, 1998 birthdate made him the youngest player chosen in the first round, posted 45 points in 50 regular season and playoff games. Rounding out the first round of selections, the defending Kent Cup Champion Truro Bearcats used the twelfth pick in the draft to select defenseman Riley Baggs of the Newfoundland MAAA St. John’s Maple Leafs. In 28 regular season and playoff games, Baggs racked up 24 points.

The first goalie, outside of the two taken earlier as territorial picks, came off the board in the fourth round. The Bridgewater Lumberjacks used their fifth selection of the day to take Nicholas Dawe of the South Shore Mustangs.

The MHL congratulates all of the players drafted this afternoon and wish them all the best in the game.

For a complete listing of selections in the 2014 MHL Draft, please visit the following link: http://themhl.ca/draft.php?league_id=32022#latest

Will MacLaren – themhl.ca