The 2015 WHL Bantam Draft is less than a month away and no less than six members of the back-to-back SBAAHL champion Yorkton UCT Terriers are on the radar of WHL scouts and teams alike.
Forwards Carson Miller, Brett Kemp, Keenan Taphorn and Kaeden Taphorn as well as defencemen Reid Perepeluk and Kaleb Bulych have all garnered serious interest from major junior clubs throughout the season as they鈥檝e all continued to develop in their second bantam campaigns.
One player in particular 鈥� forward Brett Kemp 鈥� has seen his stock rise significantly from the beginning of the season to the end, with one scout saying that he went from a late round pick into a possible first round choice on Thursday, May 7 in Calgary. 鈥淜emp really has improved his game all year,鈥� suggested an anonymous WHL scout during the Western Canada Bantam 鈥楢AA鈥� Championship in Winnipeg at the beginning of the month. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a very smart player and he has a great set of hands. He can finish and he can set up goals and his defensive play, especially on the PK, is impressive.鈥�
Fellow WHL scout Jason Gordon said he was also impressed with Kemp鈥檚 game, although he feels that, while Kemp鈥檚 defensive ability is strong, his real strength is his offensive ability. 鈥淗e鈥檚 definitely a dynamic scoring forward,鈥� offered Gordon. 鈥淗e sees the ice very well and when he has an opportunity to score he鈥檚 going to finish and he鈥檚 been that way since he鈥檚 been a young player.
鈥淲hen the ice opens up for him he鈥檚 going to finish and score a lot of goals.鈥�
However Kemp isn鈥檛 the only player to have caught Gordon鈥檚 eye throughout the 2014/15 season. Both Perepeluk and Bulych have also put themselves into the WHL Draft picture with impressive campaigns. 鈥淒efinitely with Reid鈥檚 (Perepeluk) game he plays a very physical, strong game. He鈥檚 playing a man鈥檚 game already and sometimes when he鈥檚 playing against smaller players the physical play sometimes gets ahead of him. He plays with his heart on his sleeve and his emotion is always at a high level. His physicality translates into success for him on the ice,鈥� said Gordon on Perepeluk, before turning his attention to Bulych. 鈥淜aleb Bulych is arguably one of the smartest defencemen in this Draft right now. He鈥檚 gotten taller all year so his size has increased. He sees the ice very well, his head is always up and he can make good offensive decisions.鈥�
But Bulych, Kemp and Perepeluk aren鈥檛 the only three Yorkton players that are capable of making good offensive decisions.
Twin brothers Keenan and Kaeden Taphorn, as well as linemate Carson Miller, are a trio of offensive dynamos and are all widely regarded as first round selections. 鈥淭he twins, they鈥檙e tall, smart, strong. They battle and they play hard. I know one has had injury problems this year but they鈥檙e both extremely gifted players,鈥� said one WHL scout. 鈥淜eenan has great hands. He鈥檚 a great passer, very smart and Kaeden has a great shot. He鈥檚 also very smart, works hard, battles, he鈥檚 quick and he鈥檚 a good player.鈥�
As for Miller, many scouts agree that he is the top player in the WHL Draft from the province of Saskatchewan, as proven by his league record 49 goals and 58 assists for 107 points. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be surprised to see him go high in the Draft this year,鈥� one scout WHL scout said of Carson Miller. 鈥淗e鈥檚 an elite playmaker with great vision. He鈥檚 not the biggest guy in the Draft but I think he could play at the size he is because he鈥檚 so good and smart.
鈥淗e works hard and doesn鈥檛 give up and because of that he鈥檚 going to be a good player in the WHL.鈥�
The 2015 WHL Draft will take place on Thursday, May 7 in Calgary.
