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Thunder Bay, Ont.- The dust has settled on the 2011 CCHL Entry Draft, and the Thunder Bay Timberwolves are coming out of it with 13 new prospects to add their already extensive, deep pool.
>>>"I think the overall consensus from our people is that of high regard for the group we walk away with," said Timberwolves general manager Blake Wendt. "We came in with a plan and an extensive list. We made moves to position ourselves where we felt comfortable in acquiring players off that list, and really didn't have to deviate much. Obviously you don't come out of it with everyone you targeted or spent a lot of time watching and reviewing. But nobody does. Every player we drafted were on our list. The excitement isn't over though. We will get these guys here in Thunder Bay immediately with upcoming camps and get a really good look at what we've accomplished."
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>>>The break down...
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13 draftees
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9 forwards
4 defensemen
0 goaltenders
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All were drafted from North American teams
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8 from the Canadian Hockey League
(OHL 5 - WHL 2 - QMJHL 1)
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2 from the United States Hockey League
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3 from the NCAA
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Nationalities
Canada: 9 (5 from Ontario, 2 from Alberta, 1 from British Columbia & 1 from Newbrunswick)
United States: 3 (Missouri, Texas & Michigan)
Sweden: 1
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Connections
Andy Miele played at Miami University with '09 draftee, Justin Mercier
Justin Fontaine played at Minnesota-Duluth with '10 draftee, Joe Basaraba
Stuart Percy & Casey Cizikas were teammates in Mississauga
Ryan Sproul & Nick Cousins were teammates in Sault Ste. Marie

*For the first time since moving to Thunder Bay, the Timberwolves drafted neither a player from the state of Minnesota or one playing at or heading to the University of Minnesota.

WOLVES USE FINAL ROUNDS ON EDUCATED PICKS

Carl Hagelin

Thunder Bay, Ont.- With a sixth-round selection and Miami University-graduate, Andy Miele by the Timberwolves, many viewed the pick as solid. But completely off the board. Miele did lead the NCAA in scoring with 71 points in 39 games. An 11-point cushion over the #2 leading scorer. But he was four years removed from his first draft-eligible year. The Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan-native capped off his senior year with the Hobey Baker award, as the NCAA's top male collegiate hockey player.
>>>A trend had started with their next selection in the seventh round of University of Michigan captain, Carl Hagelin. Another graduated player, Hagelin led the Wolverines in scoring the past two years, and finished his senior year ranked 14th in the NCAA. Although sticking with a North American team, Hagelin [a native of Sweden] was the first European picked by the Timberwolves in the 2011 Entry Draft.
>>>With their final selection in the bonus eighth round, the Timberwolves stayed in the NCAA and picked from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, forward Justin Fontaine. The Bonnyville, Alberta-native was an integral part of the Bulldogs 2011 National Championship. Playing quality minutes on the team's top line and finishing second in scoring for the past two seasons and fourth in the NCAA in 2010-11.
>>>"What we set out to do and accomplished in these later rounds was to bring into our organization, mature players that come from top-tier hockey clubs and were developed by the very best," said general manager Blake Wendt. "We absolutely achieved that goal here. We have guys that can step in right away [in Duluth for the Pups] and contribute to the overall development of the depth of our organization and in a very short time, fight for spots up here with the Timberwolves."
>>>Stay tuned for a comprehensive review of the Thunder Bay Timberwolves 2011 draftees.

ROUNDS 5/6: GRIT 'N SKILL



Travis Ewanyk



Thunder Bay, Ont.- Some will argue that it is in these later rounds of an entry draft where the core and heartbeat of a team are built. It is that vision and that hope that the Thunder Bay Timberwolves have when taking fliers on young men that have been overlooked by the CCHL's 22 teams through 4 rounds of drafting.
>>>With the 95th pick in the 5th round, the Timberwolves selected left-winger, Travis Ewanyk from the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings.

>>>"Ewanyk is a guy that oozes Timberwolves hockey," said general manager Blake Wendt. "He plays a tough as nails, blue collar game. He initiates contact, hits you hard and is more than willing to drop the gloves to defend himself and his teammates. He's a two-way guy that plays as well in his own end as in the offensive zone. Although we love the toughness and highlight reel hits, we'd like for Travis to work on situational awareness and be more cautious making some of those hits if it puts his team in a tough spot defensively. But we're thrilled to get him where we got him in this draft."

>>>With the 128th pick in the 6th round, Wendt and his scouts reached way back and took 23 year old left-winger, Andy Miele from Miami University in the NCAA. Miele was the 2011 Hobey Baker winner as the NCAA's top collegiate hockey player.
>>>"I have no idea how we landed Miele," said Wendt. "Despite his size [5'8" 180 lbs], this guy has steadily improved in four years at Miami and lead the NCAA in scoring, wins the Hobey Baker and simply dominates in his senior year. He may be short, but he's built like a tank and solid enough for the riggers of the pro game. He's been on our list for the last two drafts. For whatever reason, we've always passed by for another guy. We just couldn't this time around. We feel he could really help us and are very happy to finally have him in a Thunder Bay Timberwolves sweater."

>>>The Timberwolves next pick will be at #150 in the 7th round. Then there will be a bonus 8th round where Thunder Bay will again pick in order and select at 174.  





ROUND 4: FAR AWAY & HOME

Justin Sefton

Thunder Bay, Ont.- Round Four of the 2011 CCHL Entry Draft seen the Timberwolves pluck from all over North America.
>>>At the 67th pick, Thunder Bay selected centre Blake Coleman from the United States Hockey League's Indiana Ice. Coleman exploded in his second season in the USHL, leading the Tier 1 development league in points by a wide margin. The Plano, Texas-native finished with 34 goals, 58 assists for 92 points. A far cry from the 28 points he put up the season before while splitting time between Indiana and the Tri-City Storm.
>>>"Coleman looks like a really special player," said Timberwolves general manager Blake Wendt. He's a tough kid who isn't afraid to drop the mitts and stick up for a teammate. That's not his game though. He's there to put the puck in the net with a really nice hard, accurate shot, and his passing ability is stellar. We're very happy with his overall game and also his choice in school to go to and the high quality development as a hockey player and as a man he'll get at Miami University under coach Rico Blasi."
>>>From the outreaches of Texas, the Timberwolves used their next selection at #84 in their own backyard. Taking defenseman, Justin Sefton from the OHL's Sudbury Wolves. Sefton is a Thunder Bay-native.
>>>"Sefton is someone we've had on our radar for a very long time," said Wendt. "It was after his time here in AAA [the Thunder Bay Kings organization] when he went out to Wilcox, Saskatchewan and played for Notre Dame there. He's a big, bruising defender that's not going to put up alot of points for you. He does have a really hard, heavy shot though that we'd like to see him work on. But he's a guy that will punish the opposition at leisure. He'll drop the mitts if called upon, and will take you down. We're really happy where we got him in the draft and think we got a steal. He's got a game and head on his shoulders to make it as a legitimate pro."
>>>The Timberwolves have three more picks in the draft. One in each of the next three rounds.

WOLVES KEEP BUILDING AS DRAFT CONTINUES



Casey Cizikas


Thunder Bay, Ont.- There was no waiting in the third round of the 2011 CCHL Entry Draft for the Timberwolves. With the first pick at #45, Thunder Bay reached across Lake Superior and drafted defenseman, Ryan Sproul from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
>>>The first-year OHLer developed nicely for Soo despite the team's 24-36-0-8 record. Leading the defensemen with 14 goals 19 assists for 33 points.
>>>"Sproul is raw, but his game has got a huge upside," said Timberwolves general manager Blake Wendt. "He's got really good size [6'4" 185 lbs] and patrols the blueline like a vet. He carries the puck with confidence, is smooth gets what needs to be done in a clean fashion."
>>>Four picks later, the Timberwolves took second-year draft eligible centre, Casey Cizikas. Captain of the Memorial Cup runner-up, Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, Cizikas completed his fourth year in the OHL third on his team in points and made a huge impression on Thunder Bay's brass at the World Junior Champion in January.
>>>"Absolutely we were sold on Cizikas back in Buffalo," said Wendt. "The passion, heart and enthusiasm was fun to watch. He plays a fast, hard game and very responsible in his own zone. Something we feel is huge in making that transition from juniors to the pro game."
>>>Sharing the stage with Cizikas was another Soo Greyhound. Centre, Nick Cousins was taken with the 50th pick.
>>>"We spent alot of time watching players in the OHL, and in particular the Greyhounds. What we saw in Cousins was like Sproul, very impressive. Their entire team struggled, and yet these guys rose above that came away with pretty impressive seasons. Cousins is a shifty player that is a great set-up guy. Despite his size, he plays an abrassive game and gets under other guys' skin. We love that part of his game. Takes opponents out of it mentally, then can skate away and focus on his own. Still raw, but we like the upside."
>>>As the third round continues, Thunder Bay will sit back and wait to again open up the next round at 67and then later in the fourth round at 84.

2011 ENTRY DRAFT IN FULL SWING



Ty Rattie picked up with 27th overall pick

 Thunder Bay, Ont.- For what has been an otherwise quiet offseason for the Timberwolves, that all ended in round two of the 2011 CCHL Entry Draft.
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Due to not being able to officially trade draft picks for upcoming years, the 27th overall pick belonged to the Winnipeg Ferrets for the purposes of formality. For the purposes of reality, when Ty Rattie of the WHL's Portland Winterhawks' name was called then, he was drafted by the Thunder Bay Timberwolves.
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"We've been high on Ty Rattie all year," said general manager Blake Wendt. "He stands out on an overall loaded team in Portland. Nice hands in tight, good tape-to-tape passes, a nose for scoring big-time goals and alot more cerebral than he's given credit for. We're very happy to be bring him to our hockey club."
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Two picks after Rattie, Thunder Bay picked up defenseman Stuart Percy from the OHL's Mississauga St. Michael's Majors. The second year OHLer helped guide the Majors to the a second place finish at the Memorial Cup.
>>>"Percy was a guy that just kept steadily climbing up our list," said Wendt. "He's does nothing flashy, but he's definately gets noticed when you know what you're looking for. He's such a smart player. Doesn't try to do too much, plays a clean, smooth non-dramatic game."
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Two picks later and the Timberwolves dealt centre Jarret Stoll to River Cities for centre Derek MacKenzie and Denver's 2nd round pick held by the Renegades. With that pick, Thunder Bay drafted centre Zack Phillips from the Memorial Cup champion, Saint John Sea Dogs of the OMJHL.
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"Phillips finished second behind Huberdeau (4th overall pick) with 95 points. Obviously Saint John will have alot of players drafted here. We feel we got the best one."
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With the 36th overall pick, he Timberwolves went south other border and took defenseman Scott Mayfield from the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms. Mayfield is slotted to go to Denver University this fall.
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"Mayfield brings with him an edge to his game that made him one of the smarted, physical guys in the USHL," said Wendt. "That being he plays a hard game, but clean and not often caught out of position. When he gets his body on you, he makes it count. But he won't do it if it means he gets burned. We expect him to stayed a couple years or longer at Denver where we're completely comfortable his development will only continue to go north. We're in no hurry or in any rush for any of our prospects."
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After the Mayfield pick-up, Blake Wendt and the Timberwolves moved out some prospects and a roster player to improve the roster with the big club. Sending Ales Hemsky, Michael Latta and Martin Jones to the Hamilton Tigers for Niklas Kronwall, Mike Knuble and $3 million dollars.
>>>"With our projected roster for next season, Knuble is a better fit on the third line than that of Hemsky. Hemmer's a top-6 guy and would just be buried here behind Rick Nash and Marian Gaborik. Kronwall solidifies our D corps and we're now completely comfortable with the group we have going forward into next season.
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So many new faces, and the Timberwolves still have five more rounds and eight more picks in the 2011 Draft.