The Kamloops Blazers did not make a selection in today’s opening round of the WHL Prospects Draft.

Instead, they traded the 21st overall pick to the Regina Pats for the Pats first round pick in 2023, a move that signals the team is stockpiling assets for a potential Memorial Cup bid.

The Pats used that pick to draft Merritt’s Jaxsin Vaughn, a six-foot-one forward who plays at the Rink Hockey Academy in Kelowna.

The Blazers did not have to wait much longer to draft a player. With the 26th overall pick – acquired in the Luke Zazula trade from Nov. 2019 – they took forward Ashton Tait.

“So excited to be a part of the Blazers family, can’t wait to get started,” he wrote on twitter.

A native of Prince Albert, Sask., 15-year-old has put up 22 points (14 goals, 8 assists) in the 20 games with the Prince Albert Mintos U18 AAA team in the 2021-22 season.

“High end puck skills and strong hockey sense. He goes to the hard areas to score goals and make plays,” Blazers Director of Player Personnel, Robbie Sandland said.

If he suits up for the Blazers, Tait will join fellow Mintos’ alumni like current Nashville Predator/Milwaukee Admiral goaltender Connor Ingram, as well as forwards Josh Pillar and Kyrell Sopotyk who made the move to Kamloops in recent years.

Blazers Draft 11 Players in 2021

Tait was one of 11 players drafted by the Blazers – six forwards, four defencemen, and a goaltender. The team also traded their third round pick, (67th overall) to the Winnipeg Ice for a sixth round pick (115th overall) in 2021 and a third round pick in the 2022 Draft.

Kamloops-born goalie Jesse Sanche was taken in the second round, 42nd overall, while Calgary’s Harrison Brunicke (third round, 52nd overall) was the first defenceman taken by the Blazers.

“[Lots of] talent. [He’s] compete and driven,” Blazers Goaltender Coach, Dan De Palma said of Sanche. “Blazers Blueprint.”

Sandland meanwhile said Brunicke is a “high end, two way defenseman with tremendous upside.”

In the fourth round, the Blazers took forward Max Sullivan while forward Conner Radke was their fifth round pick. In the sixth round, the Blazers had two picks, taking forward Luke Dahlen and defenseman Jordan Murray.

With three picks in the seventh round, the Blazers took defenseman Tyson Jugnauth from the West Kelowna Warriors of the BCHL. A former first round pick in 2019 by the Swift Current Broncos, Jugnauth has committed to playing NCAA hockey with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft, the 17-year-old was also given a ‘C’ rating by NHL Central Scouting in its preliminary players to watch list released in October. That indicates a potential fourth, fifth, or sixth-round selection.

“Tyson is an elite defenseman and an NHL prospect. With where our team is at now and moving forward, we believe we can provide Tyson with an excellent opportunity to develop,” Blazers Head Coach and General Manager, Shaun Clouston said.

To round out the seventh round, the hockey club chose forwards Brogan Pilgaard-Kennedy and Bryce Minten, the younger brother of current Blazers forward Fraser Minten.

With their final pick, the Blazers took defenseman Thomas Byrne.

Also of note, Tij Iginla, the son of Blazers legend Jarome Iginla was picked ninth overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds. He too plays out of the Rink Hockey Academy.