![Blazers pick 11 players at 2024 WHL Prospects Draft](https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/1605/files/2020/03/Blazers.png)
The Kamloops Blazers added 11 prospects – five forwards, five defenseman and one goalie – in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft.
The Blazers took four players each from Alberta and Manitoba and three from B.C. over the course of Thursday. They also turned a pair of third round picks into four picks, capitalizing on what was already an abundance of picks going into this year’s draft.
The Blazers went to Manitoba and took six-foot-one centre Asher Gingras with the final pick of the first round, 22nd overall. The Steinbach, Manitoba native had 30 goals and 53 points in 21 games with the Eastman Selects U-15 AAA team, along with 13 goals and 19 points in 11 playoff games.
“Asher is a smooth-skating two-way forward. He puts up a lot of numbers. We’re excited to have him fall to us at 22,” Blazers Director of Player Personnel Aaron Keller – who was leading his first WHL Draft – said.
Four picks later, the Blazers took Joaquin Geras from Calgary. The six-foot-one left shot defenceman had six goals and 28 points in 27 games with the Edge School U15 Prep team.
“[He’s a] very smart, competitive defenseman,” Blazers’ Alberta scout Jason Pashelka said of Geras. “A leader on his team and plays both ends of the ice really high level.”
The Blazers then turned to B.C. and took Langley native Jacob Dumansky with the 44th overall pick. Dumansky played with Yale Hockey Academy last season, and had 21 goals and 49 points last season.
“Jacob is a competitive, smart and big centre with good skill,” Keller said. “He comes from a strong Yale Hockey Academy program.”
The Blazers went back to Manitoba for both of their third round picks. They took defenceman Madden Tymchak 46th overall and forward Cole Secord 62nd overall.
Tymchak, an Oakbank native, put up 30 points in 25 games for the Rink Hockey Academy Winnipeg U15 Prep team last season.
“Madden is a highly competitive player that is a physical force on the blueline,” Blazers’ Manitoba Scout, Brad Davis said. “He has a great ceiling for development and we are thrilled to draft him.”
Secord, a La Salle native, played for the Pembina Valley Hawks U15 AAA team season, where he put up 28 goals and 54 points in 26 games.
“Cole has skill, is smart and plays with grit. He makes plays in the offensive zone with great instincts,” Davis added.
The Blazers traded the 65th pick to Wenatchee for a sixth round pick (129th overall) in 2024 and a third round pick in 2025. They also traded the 66th pick to Saskatoon for a fourth round pick in 2026 and a third round pick in 2027.
With their sixth pick- fourth round, 89th overall – the Blazers took forward Hudson Podollan, son of former NHLer Jason Podollan. The Vernon native had 10 goals and 28 points in 27 games with the Rink Hockey Academy’s U15 Prep team last season.
Braxton Gibson was the only goaltender drafted by the Blazers in 2024, taken in the sixth round, 116th overall. The Calgary native went 8-5 and had a 3.62 goals against average and an .891 save percentage in 17 games with the Rink Hockey Academy U15 Prep team last season.
“Braxton is a skilled, competitive goaltender who makes a difference in games,” Blazers Goaltending Coach, Dan De Palma, said. “We are looking forward to working with him and helping him develop.”
The Blazers then used the pick they acquired from Wenatchee to draft Calgary defenceman Liam Kilfoil 129th overall.
With their next two picks, the Blazers took Winnipeg forward Aiden Sitarz in the seventh round, 134th overall, and Chestermere, Alta. defenceman Paxton Cabana with in the eighth round, 156th overall,
And to round out the draft, the Blazers drafted Tristan Anderlini – brother of defenceman Kalan Anderlini in the 10th round. The Langley native – who had 11 points in 26 games with the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds U15 team last season – was the 200th player taken Thursday.
The Blazers also took a pair of California natives in Wednesday U.S. Prospects Draft.
They’re scheduled to hold a Prospects Camp at the end of the month, where they hope to get a closer look at the draft class of 2024.
Also of note, the Tri-City Americans drafted a pair of Kamloops natives – defenceman Carter Bylycia in the fourth round, 68th overall, and goaltender Blake Mumford in the seventh round, 144th overall.
As expected, the Everett Silvertips took Landon DuPont – the son of former Blazers defenceman Micki DuPont –with the first overall pick. The younger DuPont was granted exceptional player status last month, allowing him to play in the WHL as a 15-year-old.
The Silvertips acquired the first overall pick in this year’s draft from the Blazers’ in the Olen Zellweger trade in January last year.
Zellweger went on to be named the 2023 Canadian Hockey League Defenceman of the Year – the first Blazer to win that award since Micki DuPont in 1999-2000.