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Lake CountryÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s Iginla among 15 WHL Okanagan picks

Tij Iginla goes in first round of WHL Prospects Draft, one of numerous Okanagan-Shuswap players picked
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Dynamic Edge trained Lake Country hockey player Tij Iginla has been picked by the Seattle Thunderbirds. (Contributed)

His Hockey Hall of Fame father went undrafted in the annual Western Hockey LeagueÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s bantam draft selection.

So, in essence, Tij Iginla is one up on dad, Jarome.

Lake CountryÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s Tij was taken in the first round, ninth overall, of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft Thursday, Dec. 9, by the Seattle Thunderbirds. Tij is coached by his dad Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥“ the former Kamloops Blazers, Calgary Flames and Team Canada Olympics stalwart Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥“ at KelownaÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep team.

The junior Iginla is a 5-foot-10, 150 pound 15-year-old forward with Rink Academy. The elder Iginla was inducted into the Hall of Fame last month.

IginlaÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s teammate Ryder Ritchie of Kelowna was taken 14th overall by the Prince Albert Raiders.

The Spokane Chiefs had the first overall pick and went with 5-foot-11, 155-pound centre Berkly Catton of the Saskatoon Contacts U18 AAA team.

Jordan Gavin of Surrey, and the Delta Hockey Academy U17 Prep team, a 5-foot-11, 143-pound centre, was chosen second overall by the Tri-City Americans.

It was a huge day for Kelowna/West Kelowna players and for hockey academies in the Central and South Okanagan.

Seven Kelowna players were selected, as were two each from West Kelowna and Lake Country, and one player each from Vernon, Salmon Arm and Penticton. All were selected by the eighth of 14 rounds in the draft.

Rink Hockey AcademyÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s U18 Prep team had a staggering nine players picked in the draft, along with two from its U16 Prep squad. PentictonÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s Okanagan Hockey AcademyÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s U17 Prep Black team had four players taken, and there was one selection from the academyÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s U16 Prep Team.

The Okanagan Rockets had one player selected from each of its U18 AAA and U17 AAA squads, and the B.C. Hockey LeagueÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s West Kelowna Warriors had one player chosen.

OKANAGAN-SHUSWAP SELECTIONS (name, overall selection, round chosen, WHL team selection, current team, hometown):

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Tij Iginla - 1st, 9th, Seattle Thunderbirds, Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep, Lake Country

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Ryder Ritchie - 1st, 14th, Prince Albert Raiders, Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep, Kelowna

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Maddix McCagherty - 22nd, 25th, Swift Current Broncos, Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep, Kelowna

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Lynden Lakovic - 2nd, 27th, Moose Jaw Warriors, West Van Warriors U18 Prep, West Kelowna

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Hunter Laing - 2nd, 33rd, Prince George Cougars, Rink Hockey Academy U16 Prep, Kelowna

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Jesse Sanche - 2nd, 42nd, Kamloops Blazers, Okanagan Hockey Academy U17 Prep Black, Kelowna

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Seth Tansem - 2nd, 43rd, Prince Albert, Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep, Kelowna

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Nathan Mayes - 3rd, 51st, Spokane Chiefs, Yale Hockey Academy U17 Prep, Salmon Arm

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Evan Gardner - 3rd, 53rd, Saskatoon Blades, Rink Hockey Academy U18 Prep, Lake Country

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Cole Wadsworth - 4th, 73rd, Spokane, Okanagan Hockey Academy U17 Prep Black, Penticton

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Ethan Merner - 4th, 80th, Calgary Hitmen, Yale Hockey Academy U17 Prep, Kelowna

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Ethan Mackenzie - 4th, 82nd, Edmonton Oil Kings, Rink Hockey Academy U16 Prep, West Kelowna

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Tyson Matthews - 6th, 128th, Prince George, Okanagan Rockets U17AAA, Vernon

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Tyson Jugnauth - 7th, 147th, Kamloops Blazers, West Kelowna Warriors {BCHL}, Richmond

Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥¢ Kaslo Ferner - 7th, 151st, Regina Pats, Okanagan Rockets U18 AAA, Kelowna

The entire draft list can be found .



roger@vernonmorningstar.com

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Roger Knox

About the Author: Roger Knox

I am a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. I started my career in radio and have spent the last 21 years working with Black Press Media.
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