2012-13 CHL Award Winners:

2012-13 CHL Award Winners:

Jack Link’s Top Prospect of the Year:  Seth Jones (Portland Winterhawks)

Seth Jones is listed first overall by NHL Central Scouting in their Final Rankings for the 2013 NHL Draft which takes place June 30 in New Jersey.  The 18-year-old defenceman from Plano, Texas, also claimed WHL Rookie of the Year honours posting 14 goals and 42 assists for 56 points in 61 games for the Portland Winterhawks along with an impressive plus-minus rating of plus-46.  Finalists for the award were Jonathan Drouin of the Halifax Mooseheads, and Darnell Nurse of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. 

FRAM Sportsman of the Year: Tyler Graovac (Belleville Bulls)

Tyler Graovac led the Belleville Bulls in scoring with 38 goals and 35 assists for 73 points in 60 games while recording just 18 penalty minutes which was the lowest amount for any player listed among the OHL’s top-20 scorers.  The 19-year-old Brampton, ON, native recently signed with the Minnesota Wild who selected him in the seventh round of the 2011 NHL Draft.  Finalists for the award were Zach O’Brien of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and Dylan Wruck of the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Chrysler Dodge Top Scorer of the Year: Brendan Leipsic and Nicolas Petan (Portland Winterhawks)

Linemates Brendan Leipsic and Nicolas Petan of the Portland Winterhawks become the first pair to receive the Top Scorer Award recording 120 points each.  Leipsic, a 19-year-old Nashville Predators prospect from Winnipeg, MB, scored 49 goals and 71 assists for 120 points in 68 games, while 2013 NHL Draft prospect Petan, an 18-year-old from Delta, BC, scored 46 goals and 74 assists.  Finalists for the award include Ben Duffy of the PEI Rocket, and Vince Trocheck of the Plymouth Whalers.

Home Hardware Humanitarian of the Year: Ben Fanelli (Kitchener Rangers)

Ben Fanelli of the Kitchener Rangers, a 20-year-old from Oakville, ON, earns Humanitarian of the Year honours for his tireless efforts in raising funds and awareness for head injuries.  In March, 2011, the defenceman began an initiative called Head Strong: Fanelli 4 Brain Injury Awareness, which has contributed over $18,000 to the Brain Injury Association of Canada and other beneficiaries.  Finalists for the award include Konrad Abeltshauser of the Halifax Mooseheads, and Cody Sylvester of the Calgary Hitmen.    

Subway Scholastic Player of the Year: Josh Morrissey (Prince Albert Raiders)

Josh Morrissey of the Prince Albert Raiders maintained a 92.4% average in his Grade 12 year at Carlton Comprehensive High School.  The 18-year-old from Calgary, AB, is also a top rated defensive prospect for the 2013 NHL Draft ranked 27 by NHL Central Scouting after producing 47 points in 70 games this season.  He follows Jeff Nelson (1989 and 1990) as the last Raider to win the award.  Finalists for the award include Charles-David Beaudoin of the Drummondville Voltigeurs, and Darnell Nurse of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.    

Old Dutch Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year: Dominique Ducharme (Halifax Mooseheads)

Dominique Ducharme led the QMJHL Champion Halifax Mooseheads to a CHL-best 58-win season finishing 2012-13 with 120 points.  The 40-year-old from Joliette, QC, is in just his second season behind the bench for the Mooseheads.  Finalists for the award include Mike Vellucci of the Plymouth Whalers, and Ryan McGill of the Kootenay Ice. 

BMO Rookie of the Year: Valentin Zykov (Baie-Comeau Drakkar)

Valentin Zykov of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar led all first year CHL players in scoring with 40 goals and 35 assists for 75 points in 67 games.  The 18-year-old from St. Petersburg, Russia, is also a top rated NHL Draft prospect ranked seventh by NHL Central Scouting.  Finalists for the award include Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters, and Seth Jones of the Portland Winterhawks.   

Vaughn Goaltender of the Year: Patrik Bartosak (Red Deer Rebels)

Patrik Bartosak of the Red Deer Rebels posted a 33-14-5 record with five shutouts along with a goals-against-average of 2.26 and a CHL-best save percentage of .935.  The 20-year-old from Koprivnice, Czech Republic, is eligible for the 2013 NHL Draft and is ranked eighth among North American goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting.  He is the third Rebel to win the award following Darcy Kuemper (2011) and Cam Ward (2004).  Finalists for the award include Etienne Marcoux of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, and Jordan Binnington of the Owen Sound Attack.

Post Defenceman of the Year: Ryan Sproul (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)

Ryan Sproul recorded 66 points in just 50 games for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds this season scoring 20 goals while adding 46 assists.  The 20-year-old from Mississauga, ON, is a Detroit Red Wings prospect selected in the second round of the 2011 NHL Draft and just completed his third season with the Greyhounds.  Finalists for the award include Kevin Gagné of the Rimouskic Oceanic, and Brenden Kichton of the Spokane Chiefs.

CCM Player of the Year: Jonathan Drouin (Halifax Mooseheads)

Jonathan Drouin of the Halifax Mooseheads scored 41 goals and 64 assists for 105 points in only 49 games this season with an impressive plus-minus rating of plus-49.  The 18-year-old from Ste-Agathe, QC, is playing in just his second QMJHL season and is a top rated prospect for the 2013 NHL Draft ranked third overall by NHL Central Scouting.  He is the first player to claim the award in their first NHL draft-eligible year since Sidney Crosby won the award with the Rimouski Oceanic in 2005.  Finalists for the award include Vince Trocheck of the Plymouth Whalers, and Adam Lowry of the Swift Current Broncos. 

The 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup is proudly supported by MasterCard, title sponsor of this event for 15 straight years.  Associate sponsors include Bank of Montreal, Subway, Old Dutch, Post, and broadcast partners Sportsnet and TVA Sports.   

For more information about the event please visit www.mastercardmemorialcup.ca.

Royals Bantam Draft Recap

The Victoria Royals made 11 selections today at the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.  The Royals drafted 4 defenseman, and 7 Forwards. 

“We addressed a couple situations with regards to our group, really focussed on increasing the skill level of our team…it came out pretty well for us.”- Grant Armstrong, Royals Director of Player Personnel

With their only first round pick, 11^th overall, they selected forward Dante Hannoun, from North Shore Winter Club.  Hannoun is 5’5 and 140 lbs, and scored 164 points in 68 games this past season with North Shore, and helped them to the Provincial Championship.

"He's a big producer offensively, a dynamic hockey player.  A guy with tremendous vision.  We'll see what he can do at the next level, but we're excited about him."  - Cam Hope, Royals GM

Back on September 13, 2012 the Royals traded for the rights to Dante’s older brother, forward Demico Hannoun (1995) and a conditional draft pick from the Regina Pats in exchange, for defenceman Kade Pilton.

Demico is a current Michigan Tech commit, however the potential exists for another brother pairing on the club according to Armstrong,

“Our goal is to try and recruit Demico at some point, but in saying that, we were so happy to get Dante, a very high end player with incredible hockey sense…It’s always a concern, it’s competition [college route].  At the end of the day, the program we’re putting in place in Victoria is going to give players the best options.  That’ll be the message we play-off of, when we have those conversations with his family as we move forward.”

Victoria drafted 3 from BC (none from the Island), 4 from Alberta and one each from Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Two American born players were taken, forward Ethan Frank (84^th) from Omaha, and defenseman Matt Hellickson (99^th) from Rogers, Minnesota.

“They’re going to be fan favourites.  It’ll be our job to recruit them, but at the end of the day these are possible high end first round type of players and have incredible skill and talent.”  Armstrong beamed.

Victoria’s first 6 forwards selected are listed at 5’9 or less, beginning with Hannoun who’s 5’5.  Armstrong on if it was an overall trend,

“It’s so hard to forecast when you’re picking 14 year old boys, some of them are still going to grow.  By the time it comes to camp in August we might not recognize some of them because of the growth spurts.  The big thing for us is to get smart hockey players and players that have tremendous amount of skill – and I think we’ve accomplished that.”

No netminders were selected by the club.

- Marlon Martens

PRESS RELEASE:

ROYALS SELECT 11 PLAYERS IN THE 2013 WHL BANTAM DRAFT

Victoria takes seven forwards, four defencemen at annual draft.

For Immediate Release

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Calgary, AB – The Victoria Royals are proud to announce that they have selected 11 players in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.

Of the 11 players drafted by the Royals, three hail from British Columbia. Alberta contributed four players, while the United States supplied two (Nebraska and Minnesota) and both Saskatchewan and Manitoba provided one player each. By position the Royals picked up seven forwards and four defenceman.

“We’re very happy, it was a fantastic day,” Director of Player Personnel Grant Armstrong said. “Coming in we tried to address the skill component, and we did that. At the same time we looked for intelligence and the players that we have coming to draft camp are all very highly qualified, smart, skilled players.”

Round 1

The Royals used their first pick, 11^th overall, to select Dante Hannoun from the North Shore Winter Club Hawks of the Pacific Coast Bantam Hockey League (PCBHL). Hannoun, a 5-6, 145 lb centre skated in 63 games and amassed 151 points (63g-88a) and 46 penalty minutes to go along with a +114 rating. The Delta, BC native also helped lead his team to the 2013 BC Provincial Bantam Tier 1 Championship and a second place finish at the 2013 Western Canada Bantam Championship.

“We are very happy to have chosen Dante with the 11^th overall pick,” General Manager Cameron Hope said. “Dante is a dynamic talent who plays with intensity and he sees the ice as well as anyone in the game. He’s an intelligent player who can finish and makes his teammates better.”

Round 2

With the 33^rd pick of the draft, the Royals selected Calgary, AB resident Matthew Phillips. During the 2012-13 season, Phillips with the Calgary Bisons of the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League (AMBHL). The 5-6, 130 lb winger appeared in 37 games for the Bisons and scored 77 points (40g-37a) to go along with eight minutes in penalties.

“Matthew is a player with great upside,” General Manager Cameron Hope said. “He has a high motor, he’s tenacious and he’s offensively talented. At the same time Matthew also plays a 200-foot game.”

Victoria used their second pick of round two to take defenceman Ralph Jarratt 37^th overall. The 6-1, 165 lb rearguard from Grand Prairie, AB played with the Pursuit of Excellence Bantam AAA team where he tallied 29 points (3g-26a) and 66 minutes in penalties in 28 games.

“Ralph is a shutdown defenceman with great potential,” Director of Player Personnel Grant Armstrong said. “Ralph has a good stick and is a strong skater that can play in all situations.”

Round 3

The Royals used the 55^th overall selection to pick 5-9, 150 lb winger Noah Gregor. The native of Beaumont, AB played with the Leduc Oil Kings of the AMBHL and collected 68 points (43g-25a) to go along with 64 penalty minutes last season.

“Noah is a strong player that skates very well,” Director of Player Personnel Grant Armstrong said. “Noah can be physical and also has good puck skills. He has the tools to be a successful player in the WHL.”

Round 4

With the 75^th selection of the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft, Victoria selected defenceman Blake Jameson. The product of Brandon, MB suited up for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Winnipeg Bantam AAA League. With the Wheat Kings, the 6-1, 166 lb defender scored nine points (1g-8a) to go along with 12 penalty minutes in 25 games.

“Blake is an all-around defenceman,” General Manager Cameron Hope said. “Blake distributes the puck and reads the ice well. There is good growth potential in Blake’s game.”

The Royals used the 77^th pick to take Brayden Dunn from Calgary, AB. Dunn, a 5-9, 151 lb centre, played the 2012-13 hockey season with the Calgary Northstar Sabres of the AMBHL. With the Sabres, Dunn potted 69 points (30g-39a) through 45 games played and 10 minutes in penalties.

“Brayden is a skilled player that makes things happen in the offensive zone,” General Manager Cameron Hope said. “Brayden skates well and is tenacious on the puck.”

With their third selection of the fourth round, Victoria drafted Jared Dmytriw, 83^rd overall. Dmytriw, who hails from Craven, SK, skated with the Prairie Storm of the Saskatchewan Bantam AA Hockey League (SBAA). The 5-9, 150 lb forward amassed 64 points (37g-27a) and 54 penalty minutes in 37 games with the Storm.

“Jared is a highly competitive player,” Director of Player Personnel Grant Armstrong said. “Jared is a quick skater with vision and a good shot that has shown the ability to finish the chances he receives.”

Ethen Frank from Omaha, NE became the first American-born player selected by the Royals with the 84^th overall pick. A 5-11, 164 lb forward, Frank played with the Omaha AAA 16U team of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) where he notched 23 points (8g-15a) and six penalty minutes in 22 games.

“Ethen has top-end talent,” Director of Player Personnel Grant Armstrong said. “Ethen shows poise with the puck and good hockey sense. He has also shown the ability to compete and standout against older players.”

Round 5

With the Royals ninth selection of the draft, 99^th overall, the team took defenceman Matt Hellickson. The native of Rogers, MN laced up for the Rogers Royals of the Minnesota High School Hockey League. With the Royals, the 5-10, 155 lb rearguard collected 11 points (4g-7a) and 23 penalty minutes in 25 games.

“Matt is a mobile defenceman with good skills,” Director of Player Personnel Grant Armstrong said. “Matt skates well and has a quick, hard shot. We think Matt has good upside in his game.”

Round 8

Victoria grabbed forward Ty Westgard with the 165^th selection in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft. The 5-11,163 lb forward from Surrey, BC played with the Semiahmoo Bantam A1 team of the PCBHL team where he potted 117 points (51g-66a) in 47 games.

“Ty is a hard working leader,” said General Manager Cameron Hope. “Ty was the captain of his team. He handles the puck well and has the potential to be a good offensive player in the WHL.”

Round 9

With the 187^th selection of the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft, the Royals drafted defenceman Carter Stephenson from West Vancouver, BC. The 5-11, 155 lb defender played with Hollyburn Bantam A1team of the PCBHL.

“Carter has good instincts on the ice,“ Director of Player Personnel Grant Armstrong said. “Carter makes good first passes and is a good skater that possesses balance and edge control.”

The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the clubs of the Western Hockey League select players who have graduated from bantam. The draft's order of selection depends on where the team finishes in the League standings. The clubs that miss the playoffs are placed into a lottery for the first round only. After the first round, the clubs select in order from fewest to most regular season points.

During the bantam draft, players from the four Western Provinces and the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming are eligible to be selected. For the 2013 bantam draft, players born in 1998 may be selected.

Here Comes the Blue! Season ticket packages for the 2013-14 season are on sale now! Call 250-220-7889, visit www.selectyourtickets.com, or head down to the Victoria Royals ticketing office at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre for more information.

-30-

For further information contact:

Corey St. Laurent

Manager of Communications and Hockey Operations Coordinator

Victoria Royals Hockey Club

250-220-2613

corey.st.laurent@victoriaroyals.com

 

2013 Bantam Draft - Royals Selections

Dante Hannoun

Round 1

(11) Victoria selects F Dante Hannoun (Delta)

Birthyear:	1998-08-02	Birthplace:	Delta, BC, CAN
Age:	14	Nation:	Canada
Position:	C	Shoots:	-
Height:	5'5"	Weight:	141 lbs

With the 11th overall pick in the 2013 WHL BantamDraft, the Victoria Royals select F Dante Hannoun (@hannoun19) from North Shore Winter Club.

"He's a big producer offensively, a dynamic hockey player.  A guy with tremendous vision.  We'll see what he can do at the next level, but we're excited about him."  Cam Hope, Royals GM

5’5 140
1998-08-02 (14yrs)
164pts (69g 95a) in 68 games
Won Provincial Championship (tied for tournament scoring lead)

Hope touched on some of Hannoun's other intangibles,

"I think it's the way he sees the ice out there, he creates ice for himself, he saves ice.  Just the vision, and when you marry that with his skill set, we think he's going to be dynamite."

Regular Season Stats:
http://www.superseriesaaa.com/roster_players/1602795

Dante Hannoun is the younger brother of current Michigan Tech commit Demico Hannoun.

On September 13, 2012 the Royals traded for the rights to forward Demico Hannoun (1995) and a conditional draft pick from the Regina Pats. In exchange, the Royals sent defenceman Kade Pilton (1994) to the Pats.


Round 2

(33) Victoria selects F Matthew Phillips (Calgary)

Birthyear:	1998-04-06	Birthplace:	Calgary, AB, CAN
Age:	15	Nation:	Canada
Position:	C	Shoots:	-
Height:	5'6"	Weight:	130 lbs

(37) Victoria Selects D Ralph Jarratt (Pursuit of Excellence)
        (Selection acquired in trade with Tri City)

Birthyear:	1998-03-18	Birthplace:	Grande Prairie, AB, CAN
Age:	15	Nation:	Canada
Position:	D	Shoots:	L
Height:	6'2"	Weight:	157 lbs

 
 Round 3

(55) Victoria Royals select F Noah Gregor (@noahgregs22) (Leduc)

Birthyear:	1998-07-28	Birthplace:	Leduc, AB, CAN
Age:	14	Nation:	Canada
Position:	C	Shoots:	-
Height:	175 cm / 5'9"	Weight:	68 kg / 150 lbs

Round 4

(75) Victoria selects D Blake Jameson (Brandon)
        (Selection acquired in trade with Kootenay)

Birthyear:	1998-03-14	Birthplace:	Brandon, MB, CAN
Age:	15	Nation:	Canada
Position:	D	Shoots:	R
Height:	185 cm / 6'1"	Weight:	75.3 kg / 166 lbs

(77) Victoria Selects F Brayden Dunn (@dunner_14) from Calgary.

Birthyear:	1998-04-26	Birthplace:	Calgary, AB, CAN
Age:	15	Nation:	Canada
Position:	F	Shoots:	-
Height:	175 cm / 5'9"	Weight:	64 kg / 141 lbs

Calgary Northstar Sabres Btm AAA
2012-13 GP 33 (24g 29a) 53pts


(83) Victoria selects F Jared Dmytriw (@JaredDmytriw) (Craven, Sask)
        (Selection acquired in trade with Saskatoon)

Birthyear:	1998-02-05	Birthplace:	Craven, SK, CAN
Age:	15	Nation:	Canada
Position:	RW	Shoots:	R
Height:	173 cm / 5'8"	Weight:	68 kg / 150 lbs

(84) Victoria selects  F Ethen Frank (Omaha) (@ethen_frank)
        (Selection acquired in trade with Calgary)

Birthyear:	1998-02-05	Birthplace:	Omaha, NE, USA
Age:	15	Nation:	USA
Position:	F	Shoots:	-
Height:	175 cm / 5'9"	Weight:	73 kg / 161 lbs

Round 5 

(99) Victoria selects D Matt Hellickson (@Helli_12) from Minnesota  


Round 8 

(165) Victoria selects F Ty Westgard (@TyWestgard) from Semiahmoo 


Round 9 

(187) Victoria selects D Carter Stephenson (@cstephenson16) from West Vancouver, BC.

ROYALS ACQUIRE DRAFT PICKS IN TRADE WITH ROCKETS

ROYALS ACQUIRE DRAFT PICKS IN TRADE WITH ROCKETS

Victoria sends the rights of list player to Kelowna for 2014 & 2015 Bantam Draft picks.

For Immediate Release

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Victoria, BC – The Victoria Royals today announced that they have acquired the Kelowna Rockets 12^th round pick in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft and a conditional draft pick in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft. In return, the Royals have traded the rights of protected list player Brennan Clark to the Rockets.

Clark, a resident of Kelowna, BC has spent the past two seasons with the West Kelowna Warriors of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). In two years with the Warriors, the forward appeared in 90 games and has collected 39 points (21g-18a) and 48 penalty minutes. The 6’0”, 190 lb Clark was originally selected by the Chilliwack Bruins in the seventh round, 139^th Overall, in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft.

Here Comes the Blue! Season ticket packages for the 2013-14 season are on sale now! Call 250-220-7889, visit www.selectyourtickets.com, or head down to the Victoria Royals ticketing office at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre for more information.