An Olds bantam player has been drafted by a Western Hockey League team.
Defenceman Charlie Wright, 14, was drafted by the Saskatoon Blades in the fourth round, the 70th pick overall.
The draft was held May 3 in Red Deer.
Wright played for the Bantam AAA Red Deer Rebels this past season.
He scored two goals and notched a total of 92 points during the regular season but blossomed during the Alberta Cup, with seven points in five games.
Walking into the draft, Wright was looking forward to the experience.
“I was really excited to see where I stood with all those kids from Western Canada,” said Wright.
“I was super happy, it’s a nice city down there, they have a good team,” Wright said. “I think it will be a great opportunity for me and it will be a good place for me to become a better hockey player.”
Wright didn’t do much in the way of celebration after the draft, knowing that he won’t be able to play full-time until he is 16.
“I didn’t do much celebrating. I knew that that team chose me because they want me to play for them someday," said Wright. “I knew that I needed to work hard and keep working hard to be one of their top players hopefully one day.”
Despite not being able to play full-time until he’s 16, Wright is able to play five games as a 15-year-old, which he full intends to do once he gets that chance.
Wright believes his performance in the Alberta Cup helped him on Draft Day.
“I had a pretty good tournament and I think that it helped me get drafted a little higher and moved me up in the rankings. It was a really good opportunity, I was super happy with how it went.”
When considering the differences he expects transitioning from that league to the WHL, Wright believes the biggest challenge will be adjusting to the skill level.
“The WHL is all the top kids right? The competition definitely goes up,” Wright said. “Everyone is bigger, everyone is almost at their full size and strength.”
A big change from playing bantam to the WHL will be the number of people watching live.
The Blades have an average of 3,850 fans attending just their home games.
“I definitely think it will be a bit nerve-racking for my first few games, but otherwise I think I’ll get used to it and keep playing my game,” he says.
Previously, Wright told the Albertan that he intended to continue playing with the AAA Bantam Red Deer Rebels but since then there have been new developments in his career.
“A few plans have changed. I actually committed to a school in Edmonton called Northern Alberta Extreme (NAX). That’s where I’m playing next year.”
