The North Shore was well represented in the recent Western Hockey League bantam draft, including a player with NHL pedigree who cracked the top 10.
North Vancouver’s Mats Lindgren, the son of the former Vancouver Canucks player of the same name, was picked seventh overall by the Kamloops Blazers. The defenceman played this season with the Burnaby Winter Club hockey academy’s bantam prep team. Lindgren was the first player from British Columbia picked in the draft. The 14-year-old will have a choice to make in the coming years, as he has reportedly already verbally committed to play NCAA Div. 1 hockey with the Michigan Wolverines.
West Vancouver’s Maxim Borovinskiy was the next North Shore player off the board, taken in the fourth round, 81st overall, by the Tri-City Americans. The forward also suited up for BWC’s hockey academy team.
North Vancouver’s John Babcock, who played for the North Vancouver Minor Hockey Association’s Storm bantam A1 team, went in the fifth round, 110th overall. The six-foot defenceman was picked by the Kelowna Rockets.
West Vancouver’s Jaeger Murdock, another BWC product, was taken in the eighth round, 175th overall. The centre won’t need to travel too far to attend tryouts, as he was picked by the Vancouver Giants.
Aiden Celebrini rounded out the North Shore run, going in the 11th round, 239th overall, to the Saskatoon Blades. The North Vancouver defenceman also suited up for the Burnaby Winter Club bantam prep team.
