MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- It was a good day for five Saskatchewan products at the 2024 National Hockey League Entry Draft on Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
Saskatoon’s Berkly Catton, Prince Albert’s Tanner Howe, Porcupine Plain’s Tarin Smith, Debden’s Chase Wutzke and Melfort’s Nate Misskey were all selected during the event, which took place at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
Catton didn’t have to wait long to hear his name called during the nationally televised first round on Friday, as the Seattle Kraken made him the eighth-overall pick.
That was of little surprise, as Catton was ranked in the top 10 by the vast majority of scouting organizations, including NHL Central Scouting, which had him at eighth among North American skaters.
Catton became the first Saskatchewan-born player to be selected first overall in the WHL Prospects Draft when he was picked by the Spokane Chiefs in 2021, and immediately lived up to the hype, putting up 23 goals and 55 points in 63 games in his first full season in the league.
He then took it a step further this past season, racking up 54 goals and 116 points, leading to his selection by the Kraken.
It didn’t take long for the stars to come out for the former Saskatoon Contacts standout, as the Spokane Spokesman-Review reported former NFL superstar and Kraken minority owner Marshawn Lynch showed him around the Sphere and joked that ‘everyone from Saskatchewan’ was there to support him.
Catton felt the experience was surreal and the full weight hadn’t hit yet.
“I’m just running off pure adrenaline right now,” he said.
Howe, a 5-foot-10, 183-pound forward, burst onto NHL scouts’ radar when he spent the first two seasons of his career playing alongside Connor Bedard with the Regina Pats. It all led to the Pittsburgh Penguins selecting the former P.A. Mintos standout in the second round, 46th overall on Saturday.
Howe had 35 goals and 85 points in 67 games during the 2022-23 campaign and followed up with 28 goals and 77 points this past season. He was ranked 41st among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Interestingly enough, Howe will be joining one of his arch-rivals in Pittsburgh, with Moose Jaw Warriors forward Brayden Yager also one of their top prospects.
Smith, a 6-foot-2, 187-pound defenceman was selected in the third round, 79th overall by the Anaheim Ducks after a solid season on the Everett Silvertips blueline.
Smith was picked by the Silvertips after putting up six goals and 34 points in 43 games with the Saskatoon Blazers, but was limited to only eight games in his rookie WHL season thanks to a shoulder injury that required surgery. He returned to put up a solid campaign in 23-24 with eight goals and 44 points in 67 games, leading to Central Scouting ranking him 38th heading into the NHL Draft.
Wutzke, 6-foot-2, 161-pound goaltender, was selected in the fifth round, 142nd overall, by the Minnesota Wild after emerging as the Red Deer Rebels starting goaltender as a rookie.
Coming off a SMAAAHL campaign with the Saskatoon Contacts that saw him put together a 2.16 goals against average and .922 save percentage, Wutzke was outstanding for the Rebels this season, leading to a 2.82 GAA and .904 SP over 36 games. He went into the NHL Draft ranked ninth by Central Scouting among goaltenders.
Misskey, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound defenceman, was selected immediately after Wutzke, going in the fifth round, 143rd overall to the San Jose Sharks.
A former Prince Albert Mintos standout, Misskey had five goals and 14 points in 65 games as a rookie with the Victoria Royals in the 2022-23 campaign, but his size and ability led to NHL scouts taking notice of him heading into the following season. There, he’d put up seven goals and 34 points in 44 games, but an injury in January kept him out of the Royals line-up until the start of the playoffs. He was ranked 89th among North Americans heading into the Draft.
A trio of players from Saskatchewan WHL teams were also selected, including forward Ryder Ritchie from the Prince Albert Raiders, Evan Gardner from the Saskatoon Blades and Clarke Caswell from the Swift Current Broncos.
WHL champion Moose Jaw Warriors goaltender Jackson Unger and forward Pavel McKenzie were both ranked by NHL Central Scouting as late-round selections but went undrafted.
Visit www.nhl.com for complete rundown of all the 2024 NHL Draft picks.
