Latest news with #WHL
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Seattle Thunderbirds Radim Mrtka Drafted Ninth Overall By The Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres have selected Radim Mrtka ninth overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old right-shot defenceman was the first WHLer off the board and the second defender drafted. Listed at 6'6", 218 lbs, the 2024-25 season was Mrtka's first in the WHL. Mrtka had a successful rookie season in the WHL. He recorded 35 points in 43 regular-season games while adding three points in six post-season games. Mrtka, who is from Czechia, is considered a two-way defenceman who projects as a top-four defender at the NHL level. Radim Mrtka of the Seattle Thunderbirds (Photo Credit: Evan Morud/Everett Silvertips/WHL) Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Eight WHLers Projected To Be Selected In The First Round Of The 2025 NHL Entry Draft 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Brandon Gorzynski Tri-City Americans Trade Max Curran To The Edmonton Oil Kings 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Joshua Ravensbergen
New York Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Why Red Wings picked Carter Bear with NHL Draft's No. 13 pick
It's no secret that the Detroit Red Wings have a type in the NHL Draft. They like smart players. They like competitive players. And they like responsible players who impact the game in all parts of the ice. You can call it predictable, repetitive or anything else, but broken down to its core elements, they're looking for a lot of the same traits as the rest of the league: the ones that tend to win playoff hockey games. Advertisement It was no surprise, then, when the Red Wings used the No. 13 pick in Friday's NHL Draft on a player who checks all those boxes: Everett (WHL) winger Carter Bear, a 6-foot winger who stands out just as much for his motor as he does for his slick hands and creativity. 'Very skilled, very tenacious. We like the way he thinks the game,' said Kris Draper, the Red Wings' assistant GM and director of amateur scouting. 'He's a player that played in all situations. … He's the type of player that, when you go watch him play, sometimes you walk out of the rink and just really appreciate the effort that he gave. He's consistently, shift-in, shift-out — loves to get in on the forecheck. He's relentless on the puck. Really appreciate the effort, compete, and the way he thinks the game.' When I spoke to Bear at the NHL Draft Combine this month, he said he wanted to be known 'as a tenacious guy' who 'wants to win every battle, wants to win every shift.' That is easy to see on video, as Bear plays with a constant motor, finishes hits and is fearless in going to the hardest areas of the ice. That all certainly appeals to the Red Wings, who have made clear that competitiveness is a key piece of what they consider 'Red Wing DNA.' What makes Bear such a fit, though, is the skill and smarts he brings as part of that package. Combining those qualities — the tenacity and the touch — is what allowed Bear to score 40 goals and 82 points in just 56 games this season. 'The thing with Carter is, he can score in different ways,' Draper said. 'He can score from the perimeter, the way he shoots the puck. He can score off the rush. He can score off the cycle. He gets around the net. So that's obviously a skill in itself, not being one-dimensional, pure-shooter, or a guy that just scores goals one way.' Advertisement In other words, this isn't just a gritty winger who can add secondary offense. He's a highly skilled forward whose smarts and competitive traits should make his creativity translatable as the hockey gets tougher. He's a player with hard skill, able to use his hands and vision in front of the net and willing to give a second effort to get the job done. For a Red Wings team that has struggled to find offense in the hard areas of the ice, Bear could be an antidote to those issues down the line. 'When you get around the net and you're going to score goals like that, there's a chance that on some nights you're going to have to pay the price,' Draper said. 'And with Carter, there's no hesitation to do that. His willingness is something that we really appreciate. He's a hockey player that can score goals in different ways, and that's a skill in itself.' Bear's profile makes him easy to like, and there's not a major weakness that stands out in his game. Even if he's not the fastest player on the ice, his motor means he still plays at a high pace. It's easy to envision him being impactful on the forecheck, scoring around the net and making heady set-up passes from tough spots on the ice as well. 'We believe he plays a style of hockey that is conducive to winning — that good players on good teams do,' Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said. 'He has very good habits. And again, he's a kid that competes hard. He's actually very good with the puck, and very smart, and can make plays, but he has a bit of edge to his game, too. And if he's going in the corner with somebody, he's going to come out with that puck a lot more than not.' He also has a compelling story of resilience. He was sent back from Everett his first year in the WHL after being just a sixth-round pick in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft. Then he had to climb his way up from being a fourth-line type to become one of the league's most productive scorers. Advertisement 'That's what drives me a lot,' he said. 'Working hard and never taking a shift off.' This year, his perseverance has been tested another way, after Bear's season ended early due to a partially lacerated Achilles tendon. 'Having an injury like that, pretty bummed out when you can't play with your teammates during the playoffs,' Bear said. 'It's pretty devastating. But I didn't really want to think that way. I think I tried taking the positive way, going through this whole stage of recovery and being positive all along. … But hearing my name called, it's kind of a relief for sure, but it's also being pretty grateful of what Detroit thinks of me, and giving me that opportunity, for sure.' Bear said Friday night that he is skating — he feels he's at about 80 percent — but he's not in a contact phase yet. The Red Wings, though, felt the injury 'wasn't a concern for us at all,' Yzerman said, after their medical team concluded the injury will heal 100 percent. 'In speaking with our doctors on this one, we don't think it's an injury that limits him, that will restrict him in any way moving forward,' Yzerman said. With a fan base that has grown impatient after nine years outside the playoffs, there was some curiosity about whether Detroit would make its pick at No. 13, or if it would instead trade it for more immediate help. Yzerman has been on record as saying he's willing to use picks, prospects or players in a trade to make the team better, and when he was asked Friday night if there were any trades he had explored, Yzerman said, simply, 'Yes.' However, he didn't reach an agreement on any such discussions, at least on Friday. There are still a few days left before free agency opens on Tuesday, and the offseason does not end then, either. It was mid-July when the Red Wings traded for Alex DeBrincat in 2023, the most consequential trade of Yzerman's tenure. Advertisement Certainly, a splash move Friday could have helped Detroit's path back to the playoffs in 2026. But there is still time to make one, even with the first round of this draft now complete. Instead, they got a prospect in Bear who has the potential to be a playoff-style scorer in the future. And Detroit's enthusiasm about him was clear on Friday night, starting right from Yzerman's comments on ESPN after the pick. 'We think he's an extremely intelligent hockey player,' he said. 'Very competitive, highly skilled, and obviously — scoring 40 goals this year — a great goal scorer, so we just think he's an excellent all-around player. From everyone we've spoken to, his former teammates, coaches, everyone thinks extremely highly of him. We think we found ourselves a special young prospect here.'
New York Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Why the Canucks landed on Braeden Cootes with 2025 first-round pick
Late this season, new Vancouver Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes was dealing with a hip injury. During a year in which the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds were rebuilding but were nonetheless led to the postseason by their fiery, precocious 17-year-old captain, the decision was made to rest Cootes for a couple of games late in the schedule. Advertisement It was precautionary. Seattle wanted to give Cootes some time to rest, heal up and get back to playing at full tilt before the playoffs. 'We kept him out for a couple of games,' Seattle general manager Bil La Forge recalled to The Athletic on Friday evening, 'So after the game-day skate, he was playing some two-on-two with the scratches against our coaches, and he just can't handle losing. 'He's just out there to get a sweat, but he was going way too hard. Harder than we wanted him to go! 'He just couldn't accept that they weren't winning that game. That's Braeden. There's no event, no competition, whether it's pickleball against his teammates, or little drills in practice, that he doesn't want to win.' 'Oh yeah,' laughed Thunderbirds head coach Matt O'Dette, recalling that game day skate. 'The coaches took some lumps there when Cootesy was injured.' 'I do remember that skate,' Cootes told The Athletic on Friday, following his selection by the Canucks with the 15th pick at the 2025 NHL Draft. 'I remember it vividly,' he added for emphasis. 'The thing is our assistant coaches, Carter Cocharne and Taylor Makin, they're really into those two-on-twos during the scratch skates,' Cootes continued. 'And they love to celebrate when they win. 'I wasn't going to let that happen. Even if my hip was dinged up.' It's an anecdote that captures why Cootes has a chance to be special. After all, the newest Canucks prospect doesn't have the glitziest statistical profile. His draft-season scoring profile isn't particularly high-end, and compares most closely to third-line centres like Jarrett Stoll, Brandon Sutter and Cody Eakin. Good players who had good careers and were capable of helping teams win, but not exactly players with superstar upside. Cootes is widely viewed by amateur scouts as a player with a very high floor due to his high work rate, solid skating ability and that he's a right-handed centre who's likely to stick in the middle as he moves up to the professional ranks despite lacking prototypical NHL size for the position. Advertisement However, he has been painted as having somewhat of a low ceiling, with some east-west playmaking limitations. Even Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin on Friday night touted Cootes as having 'middle-six upside.' That's not to say that Cootes was a reach with No. 15 pick that the Canucks, even if, in their heart of hearts, would've preferred to find a way to trade for win-now help down the middle of their forward group. Cootes was absolutely in range, value-wise, for where the Canucks selected him in the middle of the first round. However, Cootes' scoring profile requires some context. Seattle was the sixth-lowest scoring team in the WHL, which limited Cootes' opportunities to manufacture offence. In his age-17 campaign, Cootes led the team in scoring, and did so while only picking up one-third of his points on the power play. Cootes' overall scoring profile in his draft year doesn't remotely compare to similarly gifted, undersized top-six NHL centres like Nick Suzuki or Brayden Point, but he'd hardly be the first mid-first-rounder to round out his offensive game toward the tail end of his teenage years and become a top-of-the-lineup type option. We've seen it in the past with players like Bo Horvat or Florida Panthers pivot Anton Lundell. And if it's going to happen for Cootes, it's going to be because of his hard-driving personality. That overwhelming hatred of losing. The same stuff that caused him to battle on an injured hip because he couldn't stand the idea of his assistant coaches celebrating a win in a rinse skate drill. 'I have two brothers, so that's for sure where it started,' Cootes said of his competitive edge. 'It's something I was born with. 'I don't like to lose. In fact, I hate losing more than I even like winning.' Evaluating potential NHL players as 17- or 18-year-old men is nearly impossible to do accurately and scientifically, even for professional evaluators. Advertisement At the draft, NHL amateur scouting departments do their best to place the best bet possible on the most talented players, but there's so many factors — health, personality, situation, development, the ability to retain information, the discipline required to add strength or improve skating mechanics — that will shape outcomes every bit as much as talent will. There were, arguably, higher upside bets than Cootes still available on the board when Vancouver made its selection. Cootes, however, has the sort of personality and character where the Canucks felt confident that he would do everything in his power to maximize that potential. '(His character) along with the position where he plays, and being a right-shot center, which is extremely hard to get in the league, and for a young player like him, what he brought to the team in Seattle and around Hockey Canada too, he's an impressive young man,' Allvin said in explaining Vancouver's thought process in selecting Cootes. 'He doesn't get outworked off the ice, and he doesn't get outworked on it,' La Forge said. 'He's responsible, his number one care isn't his name bar, it's the crest. He plays for his team, he plays for his teammates. He's a special human being.' Which is why the Thunderbirds made Cootes their captain at 17 years old. He was the youngest captain in the WHL last season. 'When it comes to that, we didn't make him captain,' La Forge said, 'he made himself the captain of our team with the way he carries himself … He was the captain before we gave him the 'C.'' 'Sometimes when you make a 17-year-old your captain, there's going to be some grumbling from the older guys on your team,' O'Dette added. 'Not with Cootesy, though. I think everyone just knew.' In the big picture, for this Canucks team at this moment, adding a top centre prospect like Cootes is probably a better use of the 15th pick than spending it on a win-now centre — unless that win-now centre was under 25, and an already established top-six option. Advertisement Vancouver was a motivated buyer and was willing to sell its first-round pick, but was ultimately unable to find the sort of deal it had hoped to. Allvin noted, following the draft, that the trade market simply didn't bear much in the way of active players for first-round picks outside of the Noah Dobson to Montreal mega-deal. 'I've been aggressive for a couple of months here, but I think the reality is, you look around the league, most of the teams are looking for roster players,' Allvin said Friday. 'Usually, you can see some transactions regarding roster players with first-round picks, but that was not the case this year.' Selecting Cootes may not have been plan A. And it's worrying that just like at the trade deadline, Canucks hockey operations leadership was publicly citing market forces beyond their control to explain their inability to achieve what they'd wanted (to sell Brock Boeser at the deadline, and to utilize the 15th pick to acquire win-now help at the draft). Zooming out, though, for a Canucks team that's in desperate need of hitting some home runs — not just connecting on some singles, or even doubles with short-term goals in mind — to add value to their organization, adding a prospect of Cootes' quality isn't a consolation prize. In fact, Cootes is precisely the sort of high-variance bet that the Canucks should be making in bulk. It's a bet on a top prospect with real potential, and perhaps more importantly, a bet on a high-quality person willing to empty the tank to reach it.
Winnipeg Free Press
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Red Wings pick is Peguis proud
Carter Bear couldn't hear or see the eruption of cheers and happy tears from family and friends back in Manitoba on Friday night — including a large gathering in his home community of Peguis First Nation. However, the 18-year-old could feel the love and support after he was selected 13th-overall by the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL draft in Los Angeles. 'That shows how proud they are. I'm proud of where I'm from — my community and my Indigenous background,' he told the Free Press via Zoom shortly after having his name called. Damian Dovarganes / The Associated Press Carter Bear (left) stands with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman Friday at the NHL Draft in Los Angeles. 'I'm proud of where I'm from — my community and my Indigenous background,' Bear said after being drafted. It takes a village, as the saying goes, and Bear was feeling especially thankful to everyone in his world who helped him get to this stage. He's the first Manitoba hockey player to be drafted in the opening round since Strathclair's Conor Geekie went 11th-overall to the Arizona Coyotes in 2022. 'My Mom and Dad, they've done so much for me,' said Bear, who was overcome with emotion at times. 'I'm out of words. This is just unreal.' The party was in full swing at the Peguis Multiplex, where community members gathered to watch one of their own under the bright lights in Hollywood. 'Everyone here knew about this evening and are super excited for him and proud of his accomplishment,' said Chief Stan Bird. 'Considering everything our community has gone through, and what we're still continuing to experience in terms of addictions and other negative things, I think this is a really positive event for our community. He's someone our young people look up to. It shows what hard work brings. It sets a really good example for our young people.' Bear and his family eventually moved to West St. Paul, playing minor hockey through Seven Oaks and eventually starring with the Winnipeg Thrashers U18AAA team. He wasn't picked until the sixth round, 132nd-overall, in the WHL draft but quickly proved to be a huge success for the Everett Silvertips. Bear had 82 points this year (40G, 42A) in 56 WHL games. Unfortunately, his season came to an early end after he suffered a partially cut Achilles tendon. That likely cost him a few draft slots. He was the highest-rated of 14 Manitoba skaters who made the final cut of NHL Central Scouting rankings. 'Thrilled to have you in our organization. Obviously we love you as a hockey player,' Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman told Bear right after his pick was announced. When asked what drew the organization to Bear, Steve Y didn't hesitate. 'We think he's an extremely intelligent hockey player. Very competitive. high-end skill. A great goal scorer. We just think he's an excellent all-around player,' said Yzerman. 'From everyone we've spoken to — his former teammates, coaches — everyone has thought extremely highly of him.' That's no surprise to those who know Bear best. 'He is easily the most determined and driven player we have ever had the pleasure of learning with. Carter sees obstacles as opportunities and thinks his way through them methodically until they are no longer obstacles,' said Vince Hourie, his former coach with the Winnipeg Hawks. 'We know Carter won't stop working here. Being second-best is not part of his makeup. He is driven and through his journey he has remained humble and grounded.' Bear said he's about 80 per cent recovered from his injury, meaning he likely won't be a participate in Detroit's rookie development camp next week, but he expects to fully healed in time for the WHL season this fall. 'We have watched Carter grow up to become an amazing hockey player and role model for First Nations kids and all Canadian kids across this country,' said Cindy Woodhouse, a close family friend who is also National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. 'His mom and dad, Misty and Conrad Bear, have worked so hard everyday to give their kids a good life, grounded in ceremony, prayers and First Nation way of life. Thank you to Hockey Manitoba for giving Carter his grounding on his journey to the NHL. We wish Carter a good road ahead in his hockey career.' Bear is hoping to have a monster year with Everett, perhaps working his way on to the Canadian World Junior squad. 'I always want it more than other guys on the ice,' is how Bear described his on-ice approach. He wants to work on his skating and two-way game while also adding some muscle to his 6-foot, 179-pound frame. There will be plenty of people rooting for him every step of the way — and also investing in Red Wings jerseys. 'Just to see him take these steps in his life it's absolutely wonderful. It's hockey that has really pulled our community along. Carter is a reflection of what hockey brings to our people,' said Bird. 'I've always been an Oilers fan, but I think the Wings might be my new team now.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. No other Manitobans were selected on Friday, although several will likely hear their name called today as rounds two through seven are held. However, Roger McQueen of the Brandon Wheat Kings was picked 10th-overall by the Anaheim Ducks. Like Bear, he also had an injury-shortened campaign which may have caused him to fall further down the rankings. McQueen, who is from Saskatoon, had 20 points (10G, 10A) in 17 regular-season games with Brandon and scored once in three playoff contests. The 6-5, 197-pound centre projects as a true power forward and believes his back issues have been resolved. X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg Mike McIntyreReporter Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike. Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
National Post
14 hours ago
- Sport
- National Post
Flames draft high-scoring centre Cole Reschny
The Calgary Flames are searching for future difference-makers at the centre position. Article content They think Cole Reschny fits the bill. Article content Article content The Flames selected Reschny with the No. 18 overall pick in Friday's first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. Article content This talented teen from Macklin, Sask., racked up 26 goals and 92 points in 62 outings this season with the Victoria Royals, finishing ninth in the Western Hockey League scoring race. Article content Article content He found another gear in the playoffs, with nine tallies and 16 assists in 11 spring showdowns. Article content 'Good western boy,' beamed Flames general manager Craig Conroy on the broadcast. 'We're looking for centres, so we were hoping he was going to be there and, sure enough, we got a break.' Article content He is listed at 5-foot-11 and 183 pounds and has a lefty curve on his stick. Article content Scouts have praised Reschny's playmaking skills, his hockey sense and his tenacity. He won 56.4 percent of his faceoffs this winter. Article content
