Local bantam cracks top 20 in WHL draft

Local skater Ronan Seeley is one of only a handful of players from Olds to be drafted to the Western Hockey League since 2000, and his top 20 pick by the Everett Silvertips last month is likely a first.

Seeley, who played Bantam AAA for the Red Deer Rebels last season, was selected 20th of the 230 players born in 2002 who made the cut during 14 rounds in the major junior league's online draft, held May 4.

Seeley was in Philadelphia for a hockey tournament during the draft, but he and his teammates were watching the website closely. He said he knew there was a possibility that his name could pop up early on.

"It was pretty exciting – it was a lot to take in," said Seeley, who got a welcome package in the mail after the draft full of Silvertips gear. "You are part of an organization now. They just committed their first round draft pick to you, so – it's pretty cool."

Seeley's mother, Shilyn, said that even though they were anticipating the draft, it's nice to see her son's hard work pay off.

"You're hoping for that, for sure, but it's still an honour to actually see what he's put into it be recognized," she said.

While being drafted sounds thrilling, and is certainly an honour, for a 14-year-old Bantam player it marks the beginning of some weighty decision-making, wrapped up in a whole lot of red hockey tape.

Technically, the WHL is open to players between the ages of 16 and 20, but 15-year-olds are eligible to play up to five games during their midget year, as long as they have signed a contract with the team.

"Once you sign, you've committed to stay in the WHL, but there are other options available to you if you choose not to," said Shilyn Seeley.

One of those options is playing college hockey. But because the WHL is a professional junior league, once players sign a contract, they in turn lose their amateur status, along with their eligibility to play college hockey in the U.S.

This coming January, when he is in Grade 10, universities will be allowed to talk to Seeley, and he could potentially receive recruiting offers with scholarship opportunities. But that means he would need to put off playing in the WHL for now.

"As a 14-year-old you just want to make sure you have looked at all the potential options, before you make a decision that binds you to one thing," said Shilyn Seeley.

Is he leaning towards one or the other?

"I honestly don't know," said Seeley. "There's so many options and there are pros and cons to everything."

Fortunately, he doesn't have to make the decision right away.

He still has a full summer ahead of him – he'll hit the ice again next week, training with his dad Patrick – a former WHLer himself – in Airdrie.

He'll be attending a training camp in Ohio, as well as the Hockey Alberta top 80 camp in Canmore.

And at the end of August he'll head to Everett, just north of Seattle, for a Silvertips camp, to test the waters. And regardless of his decision, he will still play midget minor AAA hockey next season.

"Let's say this year he plays midget and he feels at the end of this season he's ready to play in the WHL, he could sign at that point. He could sign two years from now. There's no timeline," said Shilyn Seeley.

While Olds is a hockey community, many people don't realize the complicated maze that is involved in trying to carve a path towards that ultimate goal.

"There's many ways to get into the NHL," said Shilyn Seeley. "It's hard to figure out which one is best for you."

As it turns out – from his parents to his hockey-crazy family (he has four siblings who also play as well as his dad with his WHL experience) to the coaches, advisors, scouts and recruiters who are helping Seely sort things out – it takes a village to raise an NHLer.

• 2004: Mitchell Dube – Kootenay Ice (10th round/187)
• 2008: Daulton Siwak – Red Deer Rebels (2nd round/24)
• 2009: Zane Jones – Chilliwack Bruins (5th round/91)
• 2017: Ronan Seely – Everett Silvertips (1st round/20)
• 2017: Noah Danielson – Medicine Hat Tigers (4th round/87)