When Flin Flon Bombers head scout Jon Klassen contacted the five players the team selected in the 2016 SJHL draft, club officials were very pleased with the response Klassen received.
“They were all excited about being drafted by us,” said head coach and general manager Mike Reagan.
At the draft, held last week in Nipawin in conjunction with league meetings, Flin Flon chose two defenceman and three forwards.
The Bombers entered the draft with four selections, but ended up with five after sending next year’s fourth-round pick to Estevan for a pick that was formerly Weyburn’s.
“We like this year’s draft class,” Reagan said. “We felt it was important that we got another pick.”
Reagan noted that the Flin Flon staff did their homework on the players, and they were in touch with them before the draft.
It was a team effort. Dallas Fidierchuck is the team’s director of player personnel; Dwayne Rienhart is its Alberta scout.
With the seventh-overall pick in round one, the Bombers tabbed 5-foot-9, 175-pound blueliner Parker Hendren from Regina.
In the second go-around the team grabbed fellow Queen City defenceman Sebastian Eger, who is listed at 6-foot, 155 pounds. Both players have been drafted by WHL teams.
“Out of the top five D-men [we had ranked], we got two of the five,” Reagan said. “We feel pretty good about that.”
In the fourth round, 43rd overall, Flin Flon headed south again and picked 5-foot-6, 125-pound forward Evan Sare.
Three picks later, with the selection from Estevan, the Bombers grabbed 6-foot, 175-pound forward Jackson Kowblick from Christopher Lake.
Flin Flon closed out its draft by getting Saskatoon forward Josh Nagy in the sixth round. He is listed on Eliteprospects.com as being 5-foot-3, 110 pounds.
When asked about the team’s newly drafted trio of forwards, Reagan said: “We tried to do a mixture of size, speed, and skill. … We got a little bit of everything in our draft.”
Future Bombers?
The Flin Flon Bombers drafted five prospects at last week’s SJHL draft. Here is a look at their picks:
Parker Hendren D, Regina
Rd. 1, No. 7 overall; 5-foot-9, 175 lbs.
Last season: Regina Monarchs — 29GP, 11G, 21A, 32P, 30PIM
WHL Draft: Vancouver Giants, 134th,
Rd. 7
Coach’s Quote: “Parker was an impressive defenceman with a big shot and did a great job of quarterbacking our power play.” – Monarchs head coach Rod Houk
Josh Nagy F, Saskatoon
Rd. 6, No. 67
Last season: Saskatoon Generals: 21GP, 11G, 10A, 21P, 12PIM
Coach’s Quote: “Josh is a high achiever on and off the ice. He comes from a family where emphasis is placed on establishing strong values. He has been enrolled in advanced classes at high school where he achieves high marks. He was an assistant captain on his bantam AA hockey team where he competed hard and always looked for ways to better himself.“
– Generals head coach Scott Owens
Sebastian Eger D, Regina
Rd. 2, No. 19; 6-foot, 155 lbs.
Last season: Regina Aces: 28 GP, 4G, 18A, 22P, 96PIM
WHL Draft: Edmonton Oil Kings, Rd 12, 247
Coach’s Quote: “Sebastian is a two-way defenceman that gets a lot of attention for his physical game. Sometimes this overshadows how well he plays defensively, and how well he can shut down other teams’ elite talent.”
– Aces head coach Cole Kehrig
Evan Sare F, Regina
Rd. 4, No. 43; 5-foot-6, 125 lbs.
Last season: Regina Pat Blues: 30GP, 21G, 26A, 47P, 28PIM
Coach’s Quote: “Evan is a great kid. He just loves the game, a real rink rat! He can score, unselfish with the puck, makes players better.”
– Pat Blues head coach Kevin Saworski
Jackson Kowblick
F, Christopher Lake SK
Rd. 4, No. 46; 6-foot, 175 lbs.
Last season: Prince Albert Venice House Raiders: 27GP, 13G, 16A, 29P, 60PIM
Coach’s Quote: “He has good speed and a very good shot. When he plays with aggression, using his speed, and (being physical) he can be a very effective player. He is a kid who could have a chance to be a very successful player in Junior A.”
– Raiders head coach Dennis Warkentine
