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Skilled defenceman Scott Walford leads Victoria Royals’ Class of 2014

Eighteen is OK, as far as the Victoria Royals are concerned. In terms of succession planning, the Royals figure they have landed the puck-moving blue-liner to eventually take over when Joe Hicketts graduates from junior hockey.

Eighteen is OK, as far as the Victoria Royals are concerned.

In terms of succession planning, the Royals figure they have landed the puck-moving blue-liner to eventually take over when Joe Hicketts graduates from junior hockey.

The Royals selected six-foot, 185-pound defenceman Scott Walford of Coquitlam with their first-round pick — 18th overall — in the Western Hockey League bantam draft held Thursday in Calgary. Walford had 12 goals and 48 points for the Okanagan Hockey Academy Bantam triple-A team last season.

“We like that he’s an up-tempo, offensive defenceman who gets pucks to the forwards very well,” said Grant Armstrong, the Royals director of player personnel. “He’s not shy and carries the puck with confidence.”

Because of their fifth-best record in the WHL in 2013-14, the Royals picked late in the first round.

“Picking at 18 always presents a challenge,” said Armstrong. “But we’re really happy [with Walford].”

Walford joins a club. Since the franchise has been in Victoria, the Royals’ first-round bantam draft picks have been Hicketts, 12th overall in 2011; forward Tyler Soy, eighth overall, and defenceman Chaz Reddekopp, 13th overall (by trade) in 2012; and forward Dante Hannoun, 11th overall in 2013. When the franchise was located in Chilliwack, defenceman Keegan Kanzig was the first-round selection in 2010, forward Steven Hodges in 2009, defenceman Mitch Topping in 2008 and forwards Kevin Sundher in 2007 and Ryan Howse in 2006.

“Skating is my strength, along with hockey smarts,” said Walford, who was also a lacrosse player, and who next season will play midget hockey for either OHA or the B.C. Major Midget League’s Vancouver Northeast Chiefs.

“I have an ability to find the passing lanes. I can play physical, too.”

Victoria next selected 31st overall in the second round, thanks to a trade with Red Deer, that was bittersweet. The Royals sent reliable veteran defenceman Brett Cote, who will be an overage 20-year-old next season, to the Rebels and used the draft pick gained in exchange to snag five-foot-11 centre Ryan Peckford from Stony Plain, Alta.

With another pick in the second round, Victoria went for five-foot-11 defenceman Brayden Pachal, 40th overall from Estevan, Sask. Next up was six-foot-three, 225-pound winger Baron Thompson from Lakeville, Minn., 57th overall in the third round.

The Royals opted for a couple of Islanders, both five-foot-eight wingers from Duncan and the Tier 1 Bantam Cowichan Valley Capitals — Ben Berard, 140th in the seventh round after a trade with Prince Albert, and Dawson Frank, 161st in the eighth round after a trade with the Vancouver Giants.

While having Island players never hurts for localized interest, Armstrong said the Royals didn’t reach for them.

“We always take the best players available. We followed our list and the guys [Berard and Frank] were there at those points in the draft,” he said.

Victoria also snatched goaltender Dylan Myskiw from Winnipeg, 112th in the sixth round after a trade with Kamloops, and defencemen Damian Gorecki from Calgary, 150th in the seventh round, and Keegan Randell from Saskatoon, 172nd in the eighth round.

Meanwhile, defenceman Benjamin Grist of North Saanich, known simply as Boo and the brother of graduating Kamlooops Blazers defenceman Sam Grist, went 119th in the sixth round to the Red Deer Rebels and centre Kyle Topping from Saltspring Island and the Cowichan Capitals team, 226th in the 11th round to the Tri-City Americans.

The Brandon Wheat Kings, in a trade with the Saskatoon Blades, had first choice and stayed in-province by selecting six-foot-one forward Stelio Mattheos of the Winnipeg Monarchs Bantam triple-A team.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com

Twitter.com/tc_vicsports