Thursday marked an exciting day for hockey academies around the Okanagan.
Dreams were made as some of the best hockey talent in the Okanagan was taken in the first round of the Western Hockey League鈥檚 Prospects draft.
In the first round, consisting of 22 selections, six players were taken in total from two different Okanagan hockey academies.
The highest selection was third overall, when the Spokane Chiefs took Penticton鈥檚 Mathis Preston from the Okanagan Hockey Academy U15 Prep team, which is run out of the Peach City. Right behind him, Keaton Verhoeff was taken by the Victoria Royals out of the RINK Hockey Academy U15 Prep team in 琉璃神社. Verhoeff is from Port Saskatchewan, Alberta.
Congratulations to OHA U15 Prep student-athlete, and Forward, Mathis Preston on being selected in the 1st round, 3rd overall by the in the 2023 Draft!
鈥� Okanagan Hockey Group (@OkanaganHockey)
Got our guy 馃憡
鈥� Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals)
With the 4th overall pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft, the Royals are proud to select Keaton Verhoeff from U15 Prep.
Welcome to Victoria, Keaton!
Four other players (two from each academy) were drafted in the first round:
- Liam Ruck - Medicine Hat Tigers - 9th overall - Okanagan Hockey Academy U15 Prep - Osoyoos, B.C.
- Joe Iginla - Edmonton Oil Kings - 12th overall - RINK Hockey Academy U15 Prep - Lake Country, B.C.
- Giorgos Pantelas - Brandon Wheat Kings - 19th overall - RINK Hockey Academy U15 Prep - Victoria, B.C.
- Markus Ruck - Medicine Hat Tigers - 21st overall - Okanagan Hockey Academy U15 Prep - Osoyoos, B.C.
The draft continues throughout the day and will go into Thursday night. Black Press will be releasing another story on Friday, May 12 detailing all players that got taken from Okanagan-based hockey academies as well as all the 琉璃神社 Rockets draft selections.
READ MORE: Cheers! 琉璃神社 Beer Festival pours into City Park this weekend
READ MORE: Woman dies after falling in creek in West 琉璃神社
jordy.cunningham@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on and follow us on .
