The Saskatoon Blades unveiled their top three Bantam Draft picks from earlier this month to the local media Tuesday afternoon…signing Brandon Lisowsky, Hayden Smith and Ethan Chadwick (pictured together) in the process.
Lisowsky (right) and Smith (left) are centres, taken in the first and second rounds, respectively, while Chadwick’s (middle) family have billeted Blades’ players the last few years. The Saskatoon product is a goaltender.
“We feel with Colton Dach last year at centre and Brandon (Lisowsky) at centre this year that now you can really project out in the future and you don’t have to say, ‘Ah, okay, when Kirby (Dach) and Chase (Wouters) are gone, we’re going to have to rebuild,’ Well no, these guys are going to be ready to go,” explained Blades’ G-M Colin Priestner when it comes to keeping the franchise’s pipeline of talent rolling.
Next up for the Blades is the Import Draft following the N-H-L Draft in late June. Following is the news release from the Blades…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saskatoon, Sask. — The Saskatoon Blades are pleased to announce the signing of Brandon Lisowsky, Hayden Smith, and Ethan Chadwick to Western Hockey League standard player agreements.
All three players were selected by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft on May 2nd. Lisowsky was picked 9th overall, Smith 24th overall in the 2nd round, and Chadwick 47th overall in the third round.
Brandon Lisowsky, a 5-foot-8 centre from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, spent this past season as the captain with the Burnaby Winter Club’s bantam prep team in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. In 53 regular season and tournament games, Lisowksy scored 61 goals and 109 points while maintaining an impressive +48 rating. He follows in the footsteps of recent Saskatoon Blades’ first round draft picks such as Colton and Kirby Dach, Kyle Crnkovic, Aidan De La Gorgendiere, and captain Chase Wouters.
“First and foremost, Brandon has an elite work ethic and level of competitiveness. He plays the game relentlessly every shift and really showed up for his team consistently in big moments,” said Blades’ director of scouting, Dan Tencer. “He’s a highly talented player from a skill perspective with an especially gifted knack for scoring goals. He plays the game at an extremely fast pace and we think he’s going to be a handful for defenders in our league for many years.”
Hayden Smith, a forward from Chetwynd, British Columbia, already stands at 5’10.5”, 170lbs, despite having a later birthday and not turning 15 until July. The left-handed winger compiled 24 goals and 47 points in 30 contests during the 2018-19 season with the Yale Hockey Academy of the CSSBHL.
“When you talk about players who just consistently find a way, Hayden is one of those players. His blazing speed is a massive advantage for him and he showed himself to be a highly dangerous offensive player all season long. He’s a very intelligent young man who has an extremely determined attitude about him both on and off the ice,” described Tencer of the Blades’ second pick in the draft. “He attacks the game with speed and authority, can play both center and wing, and we think he’ll be a really imposing player in our league.”
Smith also notched five points in five playoff appearances helping his club to the CSSBHL title.
The Blades’ third selection in the 2019 bantam draft was Saskatoon’s own Ethan Chadwick. The 5-foot-9 hometown product posted an impressive .920SV% in 22 games this year with the Saskatoon Stallions. It was the third highest save percentage in the Saskatchewan Bantam AA League, and highest among goalies who played 20 or more games.
“This young man is no secret to anyone who has been watching minor hockey in Saskatoon for the last few years. Ethan demonstrates dynamic athletic ability in the net, efficiency in his movements, excellent composure and extremely high game awareness,” explained Saskatoon general manager Colin Priestner. “He’s a young man with a very strong focus both on and off the ice and he has all the tools to develop into a very formidable goaltender in our league.”
