Neepawa ready for MJHL meetings/draft

Details

Published on Friday, June 5, 2015

By Eoin Devereux

The Neepawa Banner

Neepawa is the centre of the junior ‘A’ hockey world this weekend, as the town serves as host to the 2015 Manitoba Junior Hockey League bantam draft. 

MJHL commissioner Kim Davis said representatives from the league office and each of the eleven member clubs are gathering for a series of meetings on Friday and Saturday in preparation for the upcoming season. Davis noted that those meetings will tackle a wide range of topics, including the schedule for the upcoming season, potential rule changes, marketing options and an update on the current state of the league.  

The weekend will conclude on Sunday, June 7 with the draft. Davis said that the league is very excited about the live airing of all six rounds of the draft on television for a national audience, via NACTV. The four hour broadcast is available on MTS 30 and Bell expressvu 592 services across Canada. For those without those television options, the draft will also be streamed live on www.nactv.ca. People in and around Neepawa are also invited to attend the festivities in person, as the draft is open to the general public at no charge.

Neepawa Natives president Dave McIntosh said that the televising of the draft is a chance for Neepawa to showcase its rich hockey heritage to all of Canada.

“We are pleased with the response to the draft and what’s being done this year to expand it’s reach across the province and the country,” said McIntosh. “Neepawa has a long history of supporting sports and this is the community’s opportunity to shine on a national stage.”

As for the draft process itself, sixty-six players will be selected. All eleven teams, including the Neepawa Natives, who have the first pick, are continuing to review their lists of potential draftees. 

Natives general manager Myles Cathcart said that  representatives with the club has been extremely busy throughout the year evaluating several players. He estimates that all combined, the scouting staff and himself have watched just over 600 games over the winter reviewing potential draftees. 

Cathcart noted that another very important part of the process, which is something the Natives have been on the forefront of in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, is speaking with the players pre-draft and learning more about them and gauging their interests. Cathcart said it’s been a very effective tool for the team in learning about not only the skill set of the individual, but also their quality of character. 

As for the first pick on Sunday, Cathcart continues to keep his cards close to the vest, saying that there are several top prospects the team could select. He believes that this  is a very strong draft year and that there are several extremely talented players out there that would be a welcome addition to the roster. Cathcart stressed the club is optimistic they’ll  select someone who will be a good fit with the Natives and their young core of talented players.

The Manitona Junior Hockey League draft runs from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm on Sunday, June 7 at the Roxy Theatre in Neepawa.