Monday - 'Tenders/Generals/Bantam Draft

BENTLEY GENERALS DOCUMENTARY INTO IT'S FINAL STAGES

As you may or may not have noticed over the course of the Bentley Generals lengthy playoff run this season, there were always plenty of video camera's in attendance. Most of those belonged to the crew from Pounce TV.

"Blood, Sweat, and Beers" The story of the Bentley Generals, is a one hour documentary, still in progress, hitting the airwaves this fall. It's sure to be an amazing story, and you can check out the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOHVEVzFV4I

The Writer, Director, Producer, and brains behind the project is Eppo Erkes, who I had on my show over the weekend.

The interview should be on his website sometime this week. http://www.pounce.tv/

Starting next month, Eppo will hit the editing studio to try to get 60 hours of film down to a one hour show.
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Two games, two shutouts for goaltenders with Red Deer ties yesterday. Former Rebel Cam Ward made 28 saves as the Carolina Hurricanes forced a seventh and deciding game in their series with the New Jersey Devils after a 4-0 win. Game seven goes tomorrow in Jersey.


At the World Hockey Championships in Switzerland, Red Deer's Chris Mason, making his first ever internatinal appearance, stopped 16 shots to backstop Canada to a 9-0 win over Hungary.

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Coming up Thursday, another big day for the future of the Red Deer Rebels, as the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft gets underway. I'll have plenty of info that day on both radio stations: http://www.big105.fm/ and http://www.1067thedrive.fm/

The Rebels select fourth overall, the third time in the last four years they've owned a top four pick (2nd overall in 06, 1st overall in 08)

Here is the draft order for the top two rounds:

1st Round
1) Portland Winter Hawks
2) Moose Jaw Warriors
3) Chilliwack Bruins
4) Red Deer Rebels
5) Regina Pats
6) Prince Albert Raiders
7) Prince George Cougars
8) Everett Silvertips
9) Edmonton Oil Kings
10) Kamloops Blazers
11) Lethbridge Hurricanes (to Everett) (Kyle Beach deal)
12) Seattle Thunderbirds
13) Kootenay Ice
14) Medicine Hat Tigers
15) Swift Current Broncos
16) Spokane Chiefs
17) Kelowna Rockets
18) Brandon Wheat Kings
19) Tri-City Americans
20) Saskatoon Blades
21) Vancouver Giants
22) Calgary Hitmen


2nd Round
1) Moose Jaw Warriors
2) Portland Winter Hawks
3) Chilliwack Bruins
4) Prince George Cougars
5) Red Deer Rebels
6) Regina Pats
7) Everett Silvertips
8) Edmonton Oil Kings
9) Prince Albert Raiders
10) Kamloops Blazers
11) Lethbridge Hurricanes
12) Seattle Thunderbirds
13) Kootenay Ice
14) Medicine Hat Tigers
15) Swift Current Broncos
16) Spokane Chiefs
17) Kelowna Rockets
18) Brandon Wheat Kings
19) Tri-City Americans
20) Saskatoon Blades
21) Vancouver Giants
22) Calgary Hitmen

-The Rebels don't own a third round pick in '09 (traded for D Mark Louis), and selects once in the fourth, once in the fifth, twice int he 6th, and twice in the seventh.

-Over the last five years, Red Deer has selected a forward with their top pick every year:

(Ryan Nugent Hopkins - 1st Overall - 2008)
(Connor Redmond - 11th Overall - 2007)
(Landon Ferraro - 2nd Overall - 2006)
(Cass Mappin - 12th Overall - 2005)
(Brandon Sutter - 6th Overall - 2004

-Not to be overlooked, is the importance of the second round selection this season, which in many cases has the chance to give the best value,depending on who slips in the draft for what reason. Last year, Red Deer selected F Daulton Siwak 24th overall, a player who they had rated in the first round.

In the second round of 2007 came maybe the Rebels most astute selection in the last few years, taking D Alex Petrovic 33rd overall. Fast forward two years, and chances are Petrovic goes in most pundits top five (Howden, Connolly, Pysyk, Czerwonka?)

-Given the assets the organization currently owns, and their penchant for selecting first-round forwards, I would think a high end defenseman will top their wish list on Thursday.

-All things considered, the top defensemen available are probably:

1) Morgan Reilly, a puck moving D out of Notre Dame who could eventually run the powerplay.

2) Dereck Pouliout, described as a tremendous skater with offensive instincts who thinks the game very well, out of Weyburn, SK.

Chances are, unless the Rebels decide to trade up, these two won't be on the board by the time Red Deer hits the board at number four. If they are...pencil the name in right now.

Assuming these two are off the board, the top players in the mix for Red Deer are probably:

1) Griffin Reinhardt - Another defenseman out of AA Midget in Vancouver. Already 6'3'', Reinhardt, the brother of Kootenay's Max, is more of a Jared Cowen type of shutdown guy. While the Rebels would love to add a little more offense from the blueline, this may be a case of "Best Dman available". That's not to say Chilliwack won't grab this kid 3rd overall either.

2) Mike Winther - Possibly the best forward available. Out of Trochu, and part of the powerhouse Bantam team in Aidrie, one that could produce more than a few WHL'ers. Red Deer, among other squads, has heavily scouted this team. had just one goal, but four points, at this past weekend's Alberta Cup.

3) Josh Smith - Out of Lacombe, another dman, and a local boy to boot, who by all accounts had a good Alberta Cup tourney with the Central Thrashers, scoring 8 points and racking up 14 PIM in five games.

4) Matt Dumba - A 5'11 dman out of Calgary who can play both ways.

Those are just a few of the names out there. but probably the main ones to remember when it comes to Red Deer at 4th overall.

-What will interest me most, as mentioned, is what Red Deer does with their second round pick, as always, a chance to get good value from a player whom you had rated higher..or a chance to grab a player who slips.

-Weyburn's Tayler Balog, thought by some to be a top five selection, had an "inconsistent" end to his season, and has slipped on some charts. It's doubtful though, that he falls all the way to 24.

-Shea Howarko, another dman out of Notre Dame, is likely destined to go in the latter stages of the first, but if he's available early in the second, he's a kid I would take a run at.

-Seth Jones (pictured) is an interesting case. A 6'3'' power forward out of Dallas, Texas. His father, former NBA'er Popeye Jones, stands 6'8'' and played with the Mavericks, Raptors, Celtics, Nuggets, Wizards, and warriors over his 10-year career. In terms of pure raw potential, Jones is a sure-fire top 10 pick, probably in the mix to go in the top five.

However, there's an old adage: Don't use your first round pick on "potential". Add to that fact the Jones family seems to be non-commital when it comes to a WHL career, and we may see the hulking forward slip.

The Everett Silvertips have two things going for them in this case: 1) They have multiple first round picks at 7 and 11. 2) They're an American-based team, who had success in the past taking Peter Mueller, who, at the time, was very much doubted to forego his NCAA eligibility.

-Dane Phanuef. Yes, Dion's brother out of Edmonton. Why not? There's obviously a familiarity there, and from what I've been told, Dane is a heck of a player too. He could go late in the first, but if he's available at 24, I'm certain he'll be in Red Deer's discussions.

Notables: Chandler Stephenson, Saskatoon, Steven Hodges, South Delta, Jetlan Houcher, Edmonton, Shayne Gwinner, Drumheller, Riley Bennefield, Wetaskiwin.

-It should be noted that on this list are no goaltenders. I don't pretend to be able to talk goalies. It's a position I don't really understand, and unless you have a sure-fire stud, I don't really like the idea of drafting them too high.

-Please keep in mind, the above info is strictly my opinion(s) based on multiple factors and conversations I've had with coaches, scouts, and other media. I have seen some of these players play, but not all of them.

AW