U15 AA NorthWest Stars forward, Carter Cole, and recent AAA Stars commit, Tyce Penrod were selected in the WHL Prospects Draft Thursday. (Twitter/Battlefords AAA Stars/NorthWest Stars U15 AA)

By Martin Martinson

Realizing a dream

Battlefords Hockey represented in WHL Prospects Draft

May 20, 2022 | 3:00 PM

Some of the best and brightest 2007-born players in the country had a day they won’t soon forget on Thursday after being selected in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.

Among the 240 players drafted, 49 were from Saskatchewan, including two with ties to the local hockey program; U15 AA NorthWest Stars’ standout, Carter Cole and recent U18 AAA Stars commit, Tyce Penrod.

Cole was selected in the fourth round, #83 overall by the Red Deer Rebels, while Penrod was picked in the 10^th round, #216 overall, by the Portland Winterhawks.

Cole, a left winger from Edam, Sask., led the U15 Stars in scoring last season, with a club-best 44 points, while his 17 goals were also second-most on the team.

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Head coach of the NorthWest Stars, Boyd Waklin said behind the numbers, it’s Cole’s “hard work and dedication to the game” that really sets him apart as a player.

“He’s a kid you never have to ask to work hard, and he doesn’t back down from anyone even though he’s maybe not the biggest guy yet,” Wakellin said. “He scored some really big goals for us, so I’m excited to see how he does next year in AAA in PA, and hopefully he just keeps developing and should have a good chance to jump to the WHL in the next few years.”

Cole is committed to the PA Mintos AAA program next season. He became the sixth alum of the local U15 AA program to be drafted to the WHL over the last four draft classes, joining Dawson Gerwing and Treycen Wuttunee (2021), Ryan Taylor (2020), and Ty Shumanski and Dallyn Peekeekoot (2019).

Penrod, a forward from Saskatoon, finished third in team scoring on his hometown Saskatoon Stallions U15 AA team with 31 goals and 53 points in 31 games last season. It was a campaign that earned the 14-year-old a summer commitment to the Battlefords U18 AAA Stars program this spring, as an under-ager.

Head coach of the AAA Stars, Dale Grayston said there’s lots to like about the young forward’s game, with lots of potential moving forward.

“I think his skating speed and his touch around the net from last season were some of the bigger reasons why Portland selected him,” Grayston said. “He’s one of just four ‘07s we’ve committed to, so we feel strongly he’ll have a strong year for us this year and just become an even better player for us the following year.”

The full list of drafted players from Thursday’s 2022 WHL Prospects Draft can be found here.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1