Three players from Carlyle were selected during the Western Hockey League's (WHL) bantam draft on Thursday, May 2 in Calgary. Cale Fleury, 15, was selected 78th in the fourth round by the Swift Current Broncos but was then traded to the Kootney Ice. Next up was Brady Third, 14, he was drafted in the 8th round at the 160th spot by the Regina Pats. The third Carlyle native to be selected was Kyle Sargent, 15, and was picked up 195th in the 9th round by the Kamloops Blazers and later traded to the Red Deer Rebels. Carlyle has a history of producing hockey players with some emerging to be standout NHL players like Brenden Marrow. But having three players selected in the same draft is a first for the town and suggests the town's stock is rising. The teenagers all stressed work ethic as one of the main contributing factors in them being selected. Cale Fleury who plays right defense said he looks forward to playing in the league and that his parents were proud when he was selected.
"It was a lot of work with the team this season, practice every day and workout most days," Fleury said.
Garnet Kazuik, director of scouting for the Kootenay Ice was quoted in a Kootenay Advisor article where he highlighted the quality of the 2013 selection.
"We were able to make good picks in this year's draft. Our scouting staff looks forward to meeting them at training camp this year and watching them develop into key players within our organization," he said.
The WHL is comprised of 22 teams with 17 based in Western Canada and 5 in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and allows player development ultimately preparing them for the NHL and other major leagues. According to the WHL's website, it's the leading supplier of players to the NHL having three major junior hockey leagues. Brady Third said he was excited to be drafted by the Regina Pats and shared his feelings regarding the convenience of being close to home and also spoke of the process of getting to the WHL.
"It takes a lot of hard work, you're not going to make every team you try out for and when you don't make that team you just work as hard as you can to just improve- and just keep trying and hope you make the next one," Third said.
In a Leader Post article entitled "Regina Pats enjoy productive WHL bantam draft day" the director of scouting for the Pats Dale McMullin gave a breakdown of all the players drafted and detailed the strong points of Third's game. "Saskatchewan kid ... big body ... blue collar ... played in Notre Dame on the big ice surface ... skating improved over the winter to the point that you noticed a big change ... bit of a lunch-bucket, meat-and-potatoes kid who continues to get better ... has a great work ethic," McMullin said.
Left defense man Kyle Sargent said that he was really excited about playing in the WHL as it was one of his goals and looks forward to playing in front of the huge crowds the WHL attracts.
"I've been working hard - the past few years working out, going to the rink all the time, making myself the best player I can be," Sargent said.
Randy Peterson director of scouting and player development for the Red Deer Rebels gave his thoughts on Sargent in the Reddeer Advocate on May 2."He is the captain of his team. He has a good shot and is a puck mover with good feel and mobility. He has some edge to him and we see him as a kid who can develop into a good WHL player," Peterson said.
The parents of all three boys were elated at the news of them being selected and happy that all the hard work is paying off. Third's father Arlen Third said his son has worked hard for the last several years and has now taken on a bigger challenge to bring his game to a next level.
"The journey really started with minor hockey in Carlyle with a really strong programI'd like to say a special thank you to Trevor Morrison who was his minor hockey coach and mentor for many years in the Carlyle system," he said.
"The same kind of coaching and motivation went on with baseball and other sports through Ken King and Shelly Sargent, all three people were a big part of helping Brady to be focused in athletics."
Kyle Sargent's mother Shelly Sargent said he's been playing for a long time and has always enjoyed the game and has a passion for hockey. She spoke about the commitment involved in seeing him through his journey."We as parents were always willing to put in the time and commitment we needed - to enable him to be successful," she said. Cale Fleury's mother Sandy Fleury said she was excited for her son and emphasized the fact that he will have a family member for company as he has an older brother that's already playing in the WHL.
