As Lorne Frey and every other player personnel director is likely to tell you, evaluating bantam-aged hockey players is an inexact science. A Western Hockey League team鈥檚 top draft picks don鈥檛 always turn into franchise players. Conversely, prospects chosen in the later rounds can, with a little good fortune, develop into top-end talent. The have seen the latter happen in recent years, with players like Brett Bulmer (11th round, 2007), Damon Severson (9th round, 2009), Lucas Johansen (6th round, 2012) and Kyle Topping (11th round, 2014) all exceeding expectations.
As is the case at every year at 琉璃神社 Rockets鈥� rookie camp, Frey and his scouting staff are once again seeing some surprises this week, both from drafted and non-drafted players.
Among the more intriguing late-round prospects at camp is forward Stephen Kesselring, a ninth-round choice from Viceroy, Sask., who played bantam AA last season in Weyburn.
鈥淗e鈥檚 probably been a bit of a surprise here, he didn鈥檛 play on a good team last year but he was their leading point-getter and he just keeps getting better, every time he鈥檚 on the ice,鈥� Frey said of Kesselring, who will play this season with the Moose Jaw Warriors midget AAA program. 鈥淚t looks like he鈥檚 grown a couple of inches since the spring and he鈥檚 been really good here.
鈥淲e think his upside is huge, we might have got a little lucky there. In another year or two, we鈥檒l know.鈥�
Kesselring, 15, who wasn鈥檛 certain he鈥檇 be chosen in this spring鈥檚 bantam draft, was thrilled when the Rockets called his name in the ninth round. Still, the young forward knows being drafted is simply a small, first step in what he hopes will one day lead to a long and productive career with the Rockets.
鈥淚 think they鈥檙e a good organization and I鈥檇 definitely like to play one day here if I could,鈥� Kesselring said after a practise session on Wednesday at Prospera Place. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it really matters where I was drafted, I just think it鈥檚 important to make a good first impression, work hard and see what happens.鈥�
As for the club鈥檚 first three picks in the 2017 draft, centres Ethan Bowen (Chilliwack), Ethan Ernst (Weyburn, SK) and Cole Carrier (Edmonton), Frey said all have come to camp as advertised.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e all been good,鈥� Frey said. 鈥淏owen鈥檚 been really good, Ernst has been outstanding and so has Cole Carrier. They鈥檙e all highly-skilled, good skaters and competitive, so we鈥檙e very confident in the abilities of all three and where they鈥檒l all progress to in a year or two.鈥�
Bowen, 琉璃神社鈥檚 first choice in the draft (39th overall), made a verbal commitment this spring to the BCHL鈥檚 Chilliwack Chiefs and the NCAA鈥檚 University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, but accepted an invitation to attend this week鈥檚 rookie camp.
鈥淲e鈥檙e happy that he鈥檚 here,鈥� Frey said of Bowen, who played at Yale Academy last season. 鈥淲e know he has options out there and we鈥檙e going to try and sell him on our program.鈥�
Bowen and the rest of the 2017 draft class will be invited to stay on for the team鈥檚 main training camp which begins Saturday at Prospera Place.
