For the Reporter
The Seattle Thunderbirds selected defenseman Jake Lee in the first round, 18th overall, in the Bantam Draft on Thursday morning in Calgary, Alberta.
The 6-foot-1 and 175-pound Lee produced 11 goals and 16 assists in 32 games for the Sherwood Park (Alberta) Flyers Bantam AAA team this season, He had two goals and eight assists in 10 playoff games with the Flyers.
“Lee is a very good two-way player who is responsible,” said Cal Filson, T-Birds director of player personnel. “Lee is one of the top defensemen in Alberta who is a smooth skater. He will be an impact player.”
In the second round, with the 40th overall selection, the T-Birds took forward Eric Fawkes from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Fawkes, 6-1 and 181-pounds, had 31 goals and 37 assists for 68 points in 34 games for the Winnipeg Warriors this season.
“Eric is a big, strong, power forward with excellent vision who can score,” said T-Birds Manitoba scout Mark Romas.
In the third round, the T-Birds selected center Alex Swetlifkoff from Kelowna, British Columbia, with the 62nd pick. The 6-foot-1 and 157-pound Swetlikoff had 13 goals and 17 assists in 25 games for Yale Bantam Prep this season.
“Alex is a big center who is a good two-way player. He plays tough in the corners, wins battles and will be hard to play against,” Filson said.
With the 66th overall selection the T-Birds picked Layton Ahac, a 6-1 and 160-pound defenseman from North Vancouver, British Columbia.
“Layton is a good puck-moving defenseman who provides offense from the blue line,” Filson said.
The T-Birds traded a 2017 sixth-round Bantam pick to the Tri-City Americans for their sixth round pick this year to select center Nakodan Greyeyes from Winnipeg.
“Nakodan plays with speed and agility,” Romas said. “Although he was hampered by injuries this season he finished second on his team in scoring. He is a teammate of Fawkes on the Warriors.”
Greyeyes, 5-11 and 154-pounds, played in 26 games and had 21 goals and 30 assists.
In the eighth round, 172nd overall, the T-Birds took center Graeme Byrks from Edmonton. The 6-2, 186-pound Burks produced 33 goals and 30 assists in 36 games for the Edmonton Knights of Columbus this season.
The T-Bird selected forward Matthew Lehmann in the ninth round, 194th overall. Lehmann, 6-2 and 172 pounds, had nine goals and 12 assists for Pembina Valley Hawks Bantam AAA team this season.
In the 10th round, the T-Birds selected goalie Cole Schwebius from Kelowna. The 5-9 and 154-pounds appeared in 14 games for OHA Bantam Prep, posting a 7-7 record with a 3.58 goals-against average and .898 save percentage.
“Cole was the goalie of the year in the Canadian Sports School Hockey League (CSSHL). His team made it to the championship game and he was outstanding,” Filson said. “We think he is an exciting goalie and he is very athletic.”
T-Birds in WHL finals
Game 1 of the WHL Championship is 6 p.m. Friday in Brandon, Manitoba, against the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The T-Birds host Games 3, 4 and 5 of the series. Game 3 – set for 7:05 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, at the ShoWare Center – is sold out.
Game 4 of the WHL championship series will be a White Out Wednesday game on May 11. The first 5,000 fans at Game 4 receive a special, limited edition free T-Birds white T-shirt. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. Approximately 1,500 tickets remain for Game 4.
Tickets are on sale on the T-Birds website and at the ShoWare Center box office, which is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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