The Moose Jaw Warriors completed the WHL Bantam Draft earlier this week. With the third overall pick, the team selected Brayden Yager. Meanwhile, their rivals, the Regina Pats, selected future superstar Connor Bedard.
Players drafted in the first round don’t always pan out, no matter the sport or the level, but it is certainly easier to find an impact player within the first few selections. Often, however, a team is only as good as its ability to draft quality players in later rounds. Fortunately, the Warriors have been able to come up with some excellent late round picks in the past.
This week, we highlight five such picks.
Jamie Lundmark (selected in the fourth round, 58th overall in 1996)
For a brief period of time, Jamie Lundmark was one of the Warriors’ most dynamic offensive threats. Lundmark played for the Warriors in 1998-99 and 1999-2000. During that time, he scored 61 goals, 78 assists, and 139 points in 107 games. He even played for Team Canada at both the 2000 and 2001 World Juniors, helping the team win bronze on both occasions. Lundmark, who finished his WHL career with Seattle, never quite lived up to expectations after he was drafted ninth overall by the New York Rangers in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He went on to play in 295 NHL games, scoring 40 goals and 59 assists for 99 points. Lundmark retired in 2018.
Brian Sutherby (selected in the sixth round, 94th overall in 1997)
Brian Sutherby was an important member of the Warriors during his tenure. He played from 1998 to 2002, scoring 79 goals and 99 assists for 178 points in 208 games. Sutherby was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the first round, 26th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Over the course of his career, he would play for Washington, Anaheim, and Dallas. He scored 41 goals and 49 assists for 90 points in 460 NHL games.
Troy Brouwer (selected in the seventh round, 115th overall in 2000)
Troy Brouwer was a fan favourite. He played for Moose Jaw from 2001 to 2006. During that time, he posted 103 goals and 116 assists for 219 points in 287 games. He led the league in scoring in 2005-06 with 102 points. That year he was a key member of the club, which eventually lost to the Vancouver Giants in the finals. He was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the seventh round, 214th overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Currently a member of the St. Louis Blues, Brouwer has scored 182 goals and 181 assists for 363 points in 850 NHL games. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2010.
Travis Hamonic (selected in the ninth round, 162nd overall in 2005)
Travis Hamonic was a top defenceman while patrolling the Warriors’ blueline. He suited up for The Tribe from 2006 to 2010, appearing in 171 games, tallying 28 goals and 76 assists for 104 points. He was selected by the New York Islanders in the second round, 53rd overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Hamonic is currently a member of the Calgary Flames. This season he posted three goals and nine assists for 12 points in 50 games. Throughout his NHL career, he has scored 37 goals and 151 assists for 188 points in 637 games.
Tristin Langan (selected in the ninth round, 183rd overall in 2013)
Langan, the most recent selection on this list, played in 241 games between 2015 and 2019. During that time he scored 78 goals and 106 assists for 184 points. But it was his final season in 2018-19 that made a mark; Langan exploded for 53 goals and 113 points in 67 games. He led the team in scoring and was named the Warriors’ Player of the Year. Langan’s career is only just starting; he signed with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League last year. There he plays alongside other former Warriors like Noah Gregor, Jayden Halbgewachs, and Zach Sawchenko. This season he had one assist in just nine games.
As general manager Alan Millar said after this year’s Bantam Draft, “At the end of the day the number doesn’t matter. And if you didn’t get drafted, keep your head up, there are other opportunities to play in the league so just keep working hard.”
These five players are certainly proof that impact players can be found later in the Bantam Draft.
