The Hurricanes selected 12 players, including six forwards, five defensemen and one goaltender in the 2023 WHL Bantam Draft. (File photo: LNN)

By Christian Oldale

Lethbridge Hurricanes select 12 players in 2023 WHL Bantam Draft

May 12, 2023 | 12:05 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The 2023 WHL Bantam Draft has concluded.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes drafted a total of 12 players. Those picks included six forwards, five defencemen, and one goaltender.

The team held the 14th pick in the first round of the 22-team draft. With their first round selection, the Hurricanes drafted forward Dayne Beuker from Humboldt, Saskatchewan. Beuker put up 47 goals and 56 assists for 103 points in 30 regular season games for the Humboldt Broncos U15 team in 2022-23. His 103 points put him second in league scoring.

Hurricanes head scout Rob MacLachlan said, “We are really excited to take Dayne at 14. He’s a leader and every time he’s on the ice he can change the game. He scores off the rush and [causes] trouble in front of the net. We think he’s a complete package and is going to be a top player in our league.”

The Canes held two selections in the second round, with picks number 23 and 36, which they used on forwards Chase Petersen and Gavin Lesiuk, respectively.

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Petersen led the Swift Current Broncos U15 AA team with 69 points (27 goals, 42 assists) in 29 games, while chipping in 13 points in four postseason matchups.

The 6-foot-3, 184 pound Lesiuk played for the Okanagan Hockey Academy AAA U15 Prep team during the 2022-2023 season, where he put up 24 points in 22 games while also adding 52 penalty minutes. Lesiuk previously played for the Pacific Coast Hockey Academy in 2021-22, where he was teammates with Hurricanes goaltender Koen Cleaver.

After not having a pick in the third round, the Hurricanes held a pair of fourth round picks, the 73rd and 88th overall selections. With the former pick, they selected Kelowna-born defenceman William Scott, who played at the Okanagan U15 Prep team and put up 25 points on the season.

The 88th overall selection was used on another defenceman, Grady Pichette from the Okotoks Oilers U15 AAA team. The 6-foot, 170 pound rearguard had eight points on the season, and added another three during the playoffs.

With their fifth round selection, 102nd overall, the Hurricanes addressed their goaltending by choosing Brody Rotar from the Lethbridge Golden Hawks U15 AAA team. He put up a 4.07 goals against average (GAA) and a .902 save percentage with a record of 6-13-3. In two playoff games, he had a 4.00 GAA and a save percentage of .910.

The Canes went back to forward with their sixth round selection, selecting Trace Langan from Swan River, Manitoba with the 118th overall pick. The physical forward displayed his scoring touch during his season with the Parkland Rangers U15 AAA team, putting up 28 goals and 21 assists in 32 games, to go along with 83 penalty minutes. He was a goal per game player in five playoff games, with seven goals and three assists.

With the 146th overall selection in the seventh round, the Hurricanes picked forward Easton Daneault from Red Deer. Daneault had 71 points in just 34 games for the Red Deer Rebels U15 AAA team, which he led in goals, assists and points.

In the eighth round, the Hurricanes went back to another local product, selecting Lethbridge Golden Hawks forward Hayden Iron Shirt. Hayden tied for the team lead in goals with 25 and added 19 assists to go along with 68 penalty minutes in 30 regular season games.

In the ninth round, the Hurricanes drafted defenceman William Hogan with the 190th overall selection. The 5-foot-10, 140-pound rearguard collected 14 points in 31 regular season games with the Edmonton CAC Canadians U15 AAA team. The St. Albert, Alberta player added three assists in four playoff games.

After not having picks in rounds 10 and 11, the Canes returned in the 12th round, selecting another tall defenceman with the 256th overall pick. Medicine Hat native Theron Bensler chipped in 24 points in 30 games for the Medicine Hat Hounds U16 AA team. The 6-foot-2 Bensler was second on his team in scoring.

With their final pick, Lethbridge selected defenceman Grady Taylor in the 13th round, 278th overall. Taylor spent the 2022-23 season with the Brandon Wheat Kings U15 AAA team, adding eight goals and six assists in 30 games.

Now that the WHL Bantam Draft and the WHL U.S. Priority Draft have concluded, teams will participate in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft on Wednesday, July 5th, 2023.

The Hurricanes hold the 42nd overall pick in that draft.

Read more local sports at Lethbridge News Now.