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Top-10 pick awaits Victoria Royals as bantam draft goes virtual

For the first time since becoming general manager of the Victoria Royals in 2012-13, Cam Hope won’t be in Calgary or Red Deer for the Western Hockey League bantam draft. Welcome to draft day amid a pandemic.
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GM Cam Hope and the Royals have the ninth overall pick in Wednesday's WHL bantam draft.

For the first time since becoming general manager of the Victoria Royals in 2012-13, Cam Hope won’t be in Calgary or Red Deer for the Western Hockey League bantam draft.

Welcome to draft day amid a pandemic. The virtual 2020 edition will be conducted today online with the Royals selecting ninth overall based on placings before the WHL season was cancelled due to COVID-19.

“The way technology works now, we don’t expect any glitches,” said Hope.

“My office is adjacent to [assistant GM Jeff Harris] and [director of hockey operations] Adam McKinnon. We will be in contact remotely with our scouts.”

The biggest handicap has been in being denied a last chance to scout players in late-season bantam tournaments that were cancelled due to the pandemic.

“Losing out on an opportunity to see players one more time really changes things,” said Hope.

“But that’s why we have the experienced group of scouts that we do. These guys are so good during the season that we have mounds of information already.”

The Royals have a scouting staff of 15, including part-timers.

“Our senior scouts see more than 200 bantam games each a year. The WHL covers such a big region. The work done by our head scout [Ed Fowler] makes all our jobs easier.”

The Regina Pats, selecting first, have already announced they will take prodigy Connor Bedard of North Vancouver, the first player in the history of the WHL to be granted exceptional status and allowed to play in the league as a 15-year-old.

“This draft is deeper than recent drafts, especially at the top end,” said Hope.

“That talent stretches well past the top 10. At No. 9, we will get an outstanding player. Going further in, there is quality through the first three rounds.”

The Royals have selected home-Island defencemen with their last two first-round selections, Nolan Bentham 13th overall in 2018 and Jason Spizawka, 19th overall last year. The hometown products became the Royals’ seventh and eighth first-round selections since the franchise moved to the Island in 2011. Joe Hicketts was taken 12th overall in 2011, Tyler Soy eighth and Chaz Reddekopp 13th in 2012, Dante Hannoun 11th in 2013, Scott Walford 18th in 2014 and Eric Florchuk 13th in 2015.

Several Island players are expected to be taken today. According to the WEHP ranking site, forward Ty Halaburda of Langford is the 30th ranked player for the 2020 WHL draft and Nanaimo’s Matthew Wood is No. 32. But both are much higher on the rankings released by DraftGeek with Wood rated No. 8 and Halaburda No. 21. Defenceman Dayton Arneson of Victoria via Campbell River is No 45 on WEHP and No. 33 on DraftGeek.

Other Island players ranked are goaltender Liam Hallett, forwards Ben Wright, Aiden See, Owen Beckner, Randy McLaughlin, Cole Patterson and defencemen Nate Misskey, Dylan Compton, Brendan Olson, Caleb Bentham and Brody Juck.

It is an inexact science, however. About a quarter of WHL rosters consist of players who were not drafted out of bantam. The list of players overlooked in the WHL bantam draft is legendary and includes Jamie Benn, Jarome Iginla, Shea Weber, Shane Doan, Dan Hamhuis, Joffrey Lupul, Tyler Ennis and several other future NHLers.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com

Twitter.com/tc_vicsports