DETROIT FALCONS

Detroit leads the way with 11 rookies awaiting being called tomorrow night. It is going to be interesting to see where these Falcons players end up tomorrow, as there are a ton of options for teams. 4 of the 11 players have yet to break the 200 TPE mark (with 2 being inactive), but should be great options for later picks. The Falcons class is lead by Espen Knutsen Jr. Knutsen Jr. has had a great season getting better and should be a very good option for any team looking to bolster their offense.



VANCOUVER WHALERS

The Whalers come in second with 10 rookies being drafted tomorrow night. Of the bunch, 2 have gone inactive, but the remaining 8 have gone above and beyond expectations in their development. GMs Glyc and Luke have done a tremendous job drafting and bringing in free agents and having a strong class of S47 prospects. Of the bunch, Jax Duggan is the prized prospect out of Vancouver. Many believe he won’t drop below the 2nd overall pick, but there is a chance he goes at the top spot to the Winnipeg Jets. Duggan will improve any team that selects him, and he will be putting on his new jersey early tomorrow night. Don’t sleep on Cullen Gray though. The rookie leader in points seems to have slipped under the radar in most people’s predictions.



ST LOUIS SCARECROWS

Tied in 3rd we have the Four Star Cup champions. Unbelievable that a team that just won the Cup has a great crop of rookies. A team looking to continue their success next season, it looks bright as they can expect to have this core remain in St. Louis for next season. What’s even more impressive is of the 8 rookies, only one is inactive, with the remaining 7 all above 200 TPE. This rookie crop is lead by S47 rookie leading TPE earner Filip Zadina. He has been an absolutely phenom developing himself ever since he declared for the SHL draft and there is no doubt that GMs are salivating at the opportunity to draft him. If he continues on this pace, he should be in the SHL in no time.



COLORADO RAPTORS

The next team tied with 8 rookies is the Raptors. Colorado has done a good job with their rookies and keeping them around and motivated to improve. The Raptors will be looking to continue improving over the course of the next season or two, but if they continue this pace, they will be a team to watch out for. Of the bunch, Julio Tokolosh is the one who has turned the most heads. In part due to the fact that he has earned a lot of TPE, but mainly because nobody has ever seen a cow play hockey, let alone skate. For a big fella, Tokolosh skates like the wind out there. Let me tell you, it would be a nightmare for anyone on the opposition to see this beast skating towards you.



HALIFAX RAIDERS

The final team tied with 8 rookies is the Halifax Raiders. Halifax has a lot of rookies, but perhaps their drafting and talent retention needs some work. Of the group, half of them have yet to hit the 200 TPE mark, with possibly 3 inactives. They have very high TPE earners, but in order to be successful, teams in the SMJHL need to draft well, sign good free agents and keep players motivated, which may need work in Halifax. Halifax is lead by the 1st overall pick in the SMJHL draft Esa Parmborg, but as Esa’s agent is Calgary Dragons’ GM Steelhead, we won’t have our focus on him. Joseph Laraque is another great player for Halifax this year who has turned a lot of heads with his exceptional play this season. Laraque is sure to hear his name very early tomorrow night and if he continues, will be a star in the SHL.



ANAHEIM OUTLAWS

Next on our list is the Anaheim Outlaws. The Outlaws have 7 players who will be awaiting their names being called tomorrow night. Anaheim has done a great job with their crop of rookies, as only Gustav Steen has gone inactive. All 6 other members of the team have consistently been improving themselves and have made some noise. The high TPE earner for the Outlaws is Corey Kennedy. He has put in a tremendous amount of work over the course of the season and GMs have taken note of his talents. There should be no doubts that Kennedy won’t have to wait very long to hear his name called tomorrow night.



LETHBRIDGE LIONS

The Lions have 6 players in the upcoming draft, but their S47 rookies have the highest TPE average of any other team in the SMJHL (thanks for the research Luke <3). Lethbridge has been very efficient and obtained maximum value from their rookies. While they may be in the bottom half, they have ensured their rookies are at the top of their game. While Austin Roenick has the most TPE in Lethbridge, I decided to highlight Harry Carpet. Why? Because I’m tired and his name made me giggle (also, this is my article so I do what I want). Harry is known around the league and it should be interesting to see where he ends up. Not everybody enjoys a Harry Carpet, so which GM is going to out themselves and make the bold move of selecting him?



ANCHORAGE ARMADA

The next team, also with 6 prospects, is the Armada. Unfortunately they have not been as efficient as LEthbridge, as 3/6 have 170 TPE or less and 2 of the 3 are likely inactive. The Anchorage surely want to turn their fortunes around with a good draft, however they are going to have 3 very good players represent them in the SHL tomorrow night. Of the bunch, we have our second animal on the list in Eko van Otter. I like otters, so I’m going to say Eko is going to be a good player. Otters are adorable, but don’t take them lightly, they’re shifty and very agile, which would be great on the ice. Eko needs to learn how to use a hockey stick better rather than carrying the puck in his mouth, but I think he’ll get there.



KELOWNA KNIGHTS

Second last team on the list are the Knights with 4 rookies. They just made the Four Star Cup Finals that ended unfortunately for them, but they have a great class of rookies. Kelowna banked on their send downs to help them get to where they are, however that isn’t for a lack of talent with their rookies either. They have who many believe is going to be Winnipeg’s 1st overall selection in Gunnar Soderberg. Not only does Soderberg have flowing blonde hair, he’s also a pretty smooth hockey player. Constantly improving, training and manscaping, Soderberg is going to fill up arenas with his good play and great hair. Winnipeg may see a jump in overall revenue simply by drafting him first.



MONTREAL MILITIA

Last on our list is the Militia with just 3 players representing their team at tomorrow night’s draft. Montreal has a little bit of everything with their 3 players with a low TPE earner, mid earner and high TPE earner. They hope to build on that for the upcoming season. However, of the bunch, Marc Hagan is the definite standout. Any team would love to have Hagan on their team considering he literally determines the outcome of games. Normally, people would abuse this power, but Hagan is smart, putting the Militia right in the middle of the pack where nobody would suspect it. If he has that sort of influence in the SMJHL, just imagine what could happen if he gets his hands on the SHL simulator. I’m sure all GMs will want to pick him up early tomorrow night.