The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League will hold its 2020 bantam draft Friday (June 5).
The draft runs for six rounds and involves all 12 SJHL teams, as they select bantam players who they hope to see in the junior ranks.
The Melville Millionaires have the number one selection, with Weyburn second and Notre Dame third.
The Yorkton Terriers will select ninth.
Terrier general manager and head coach Mat Hehr said there will be talent to select even going late in each round, calling the overall pool of players this year “very good.”
Hehr also noted choices made Friday will impact the franchises in the years ahead.
“It’s definitely an important stepping stone in building the organization for the future,” he said.
The SJHL draft is always a bit of a guessing game, with the Western Hockey League already having held its bantam draft selecting the top players in the age group. Hehr said typically players taken in the first two, or three rounds of the WHL draft are not taken in the SJ edition as those players are expected to play at the higher level.
And exception can be a player “you’ve heard by word-of-mouth” might be looking at NCAA college, making the SJHL a good option for them, said Hehr.
“If they’re leaning toward college we’re more inclined to take them early,” he said.
Hehr said the Terriers will look for Yorkton area players where it makes sense, adding “lots of quality players around here.”
The draft begins at 1 p.m. Friday and will be broadcast on SaskTel Max, on channel 48 and 348 HD.
