Game On Magazine - April 2017 Game on Preview Edition | Page 58

CHICAGO – History wasn’t
made, but it was still a big
night for Manitoba at the
2017 National Hockey League
Entry Draft. And it was an
especially big night for the
Winnipeg Thrashers Midget
Triple A program.
Winnipeg’s Nolan Patrick,
a former member of the
Thrashers, was selected second
overall by the Philadelphia
Flyers, meaning that a
Manitoban and/or a member
of the Brandon Wheat Kings
Nolan Patrick
has – still – never been
selected first overall.
However, going No. 2
overall to a Flyers team
with former Wheat Kings
goalie Ron Hextall as general
manager and former UND
head coach Dave Hakstol
(who was once interested in
recruiting Patrick) means that
Patrick’s future is very bright.
Of course, right after
Patrick was selected, the Vegas
Golden Knights, with the
sixth overall selection and the
first draft pick in franchise
history, chose Winnipeg’s
Cody Glass, another former
member of the Thrashers and
a star with the WHL’s Portland
Winter Hawks.
“I’m really excited,” said
Patrick. “I’ve been there
(Philadelphia) a few
times and it’s obviously
a good sports town. I
like the way the team
plays.”
Patrick, who
is 6-foot-2, 198
pounds, is the son
of former NHL
player Steve Patrick
and former Canadian
National Team volleyball
player Carrie (Chernomaz)
Patrick. He is the nephew
of two former NHL players
– James Patrick and Rich
Chernomaz. If you watch him
play for any extended period,
there is no one in Canadian
junior hockey who can do
what he does: he is big, can
skate, can score, plays well
without the puck, plays a 200-
foot game and can even fight
if he’s asked.
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Winnipeg’s Cody Glass, former Thrasher and
a star with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks
After being named MVP of
the 2016 WHL playoffs he led
the Wheat Kings to the WHL
championship – Patrick had
hernia surgery. He eventually
returned to the 2016-17
Wheat Kings lineup and
played 33 games. In that short
span, he had 20 goals and 46
points. Despite the off-season
surgery and with no guarantee
he’d play much in 2016 or
2017, he started the season
ranked No. 1 on the NHL’s
Central Scouting Bureau’s list
of North American skaters,
remained No. 1 at mid-season
and in early April, found
himself ranked No. 1 again.
When he plays, there is no
better junior hockey player in
Canada.
Glass, meanwhile, was
the first player ever selected
by the expansion Golden
Knights. Glass was No. 6 in
NHL Central Scouting’s final
ranking of North American
skaters. He was tied for
seventh in the Western
Hockey League with 94 points
(32 goals, 62 assists) in 69
games for Portland.
“It’s amazing.” Glass said.
“Especially what Vegas holds
for the future. I think it’s
going to be a really good
run and I can’t wait to get
started. Playing there will be
unbelievable. They’re going to
have a great crowd and I can’t
wait to get there.
“This jersey is unbelievable,”
added Glass. “I think it’s one
of the best in the league. I’m
really excited to wear it one
more day.
“As a hockey fan, I was
really looking forward to
seeing how they’d pick their
team. I thought they picked
really well and I think they’ll
have a really good team.”
While there was no doubt
that Patrick was going to be
one of the Top 2 picks, it’s
very likely, the best story in
this year’s draft is the one
about Glass -- the tall, skinny
kid from Winnipeg who
jumped from a C-rating by
Central Scouting in August