“I tried my best to keep my mind off it,” said Sexsmith of the draft. “This is
a team game. I’m not an individual and this is all about the team. Especially,
considering my situation, coming out here to play at such a young age, the
whole point of coming out here was improving. The idea from the start was
to be better as a team and not an individual.
“So I tried to keep my mind off it the best that I could, but it was still close
and hopes were high. Even if hadn’t been chosen in the draft, our team had
a great year and I’m proud of what we accomplished.”
As the draft went on, more and more Manitobans -- and more and more
members of this year’s RHA Nationals -- were selected. In the end, 26 Mani-
tobans were taken, nine from RHA, including three of the first four and six
in the first three rounds.
The WHL Draft was not on my
mind. The only thing I thought about all
year was just to keep on getting better.
Whatever happened in the draft was going
to happen. I couldn’t concern myself with
the draft because I knew I’d only get
consumed by it. It’s really just a small
step toward where you want to be.
The important thing is, I’ve improved
In the second round, RHA forward Anthony Kehrer from Winnipeg was
taken 30th overall by Brandon and RHA rightwinger Jakob Brook from Ro-
blin was taken 40th overall by Prince Albert.
In the third round, Nathanael Hinds of Winnipeg, a centre with the Winni-
peg Warriors of the Triple A Bantam League, was taken by Everett with the
49th pick; RHA centre Ty Thorpe of Brandon was taken by Victoria with the
54th selection; centre Nolan Ritchie of the Wheat Kings bantams, whose
dad is an assistant coach with the WHL Wheat Kings and is a kid who has
spent his entire life around the Wheaties, was taken by Brandon with the
56th selection; and Evan Herman, a centre with RHA from Oakville, Man.,
was taken by Prince Albert with the 64th pick.
The first Manitoba goaltender selected was Winnipegger Dante Gianuzzi
from the RHA Nationals. Portland selected Gianuzzi in the fifth round with
the 99th selection.
For Thorpe, after a tremendous season with RHA – a year in which his
mom moved from Brandon, bought a house in Winnipeg and billeted many
of the out of town players, including Sexsmith – getting drafted had not
been at the top of his mind. Just “getting better” was the only thing on
which he’d concentrated.
“I thought this was a really great experience,” he said. “I knew I made the
right decision. Living with my mom and my friends was one of the biggest
parts of this experience for me. With my mom around, I never really felt like
I left home and with all the guys around, it was just a really good time and
it really helped with my development this year.
“The WHL Draft was not on my mind. The only thing I thought about all
year was just to keep on getting better. Whatever happened in the draft
was going to happen. I couldn’t concern myself with the draft because I
JAKOB
BROOK
JOEL
SEXSMITH
2017 CHAMPIONS EDITION
GAME ON 59