The first week of the regular season is complete, and we're going to take a look at how the top five picks from the most recent SMJHL Draft are faring in their rookie debuts. Without further delay, here we go:

Oceane Soderberg-Tremblay (Yukon)
The top pick from the draft is having a strong start to the season for the Malamutes, posting 14 points in her first 18 games. While the defensive stats might not be there quite yet for OST - sitting at a neutral +/- and just 13 blocked shots - her offensive output is more than enough to make up for lapses on the back-end. Yukon sits near the middle-of-the-pack and will rely heavily on their star rookie if they plan to climb further up in the standings.

River Yekaterina Volkova (Vancouver)
The second overall selection - and top first gen - is also off to great start in their SMJHL career, notching 15 points in 22 games which puts him 2nd on the team in scoring. Of those points, 8 are goals which actually leads the rebuilding Whalers as they sit towards the bottom of the standings. A highly physical player in RYV (45 hits thus far), he's quickly turning into a menace on the ice and one can only imagine how they'll grow as the season progresses & reaching that 350tpe mark.

Dee Centerman IV (San Diego)
The third pick of the draft is off to a bit of a slower offensive start but very strong defensively for a forward. Up to this point, Dee has put up 12 points in 22 games for the Tidal, showcasing a very low 9% shooting despite being third on the team in shots (77). However his two-way game has flourished, leading all forwards on the team with 27 blocked shots in addition to 37 hits. The offensive production is bound to come at some point, but there will be no complaints from San Diego fans as Centerman continues to show his 200ft prowess.

Claude L'Castor (Nevada)
The first goaltender taken during the draft, and at the time was a bit of a shocker to many of us watching the stream live. Splitting time with bonafide-starter in Jack, it's difficult to get a solid read on the type of tendy we're looking at here. However, it speaks volumes from the Battleborn that they're willing to give an equal 50/50 split between the pipes - especially with a rookie - when they could easily give L'Castor a smaller share to help climb the standings a bit more. He currently has a 3-6-1 record and a 4.18 GAA. Although not impressive, his .888 SV% is promising, and he also has the only shutout posted by Nevada so far; definitely someone to follow.

Kienen McKeller (Great Falls)
Rounding out our top five picks is the second defender taken in the draft. His stat line is rather disappointing to this rate, posting just 7 points, 6 blocks, and 20 hits in 19 games. Don't let this fool you though, as the Grizzlies are towards the bottom of the standings and don't boast a wildly impressive roster anyway. Something to notice though is his ice time is 3rd on the entire team, showing trust from Great Falls management and knowing that the numbers will eventually come as the team improves over time.

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Apollo Seaborne #16 || D || Maine Timber
Position: D
Country: Canada
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SMJHL Career Statistics:
S79-S?? | GP: 77 | G: 06 | A: 29 | P: 35 | +/-: +10 | BS: 86 | H: 149
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SHL Career Statistics:
S?? | GP: 00 | G: 00 | A: 00 | P: 00 | +/-: 00 | S: 00 | H:00
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Career Playoff Statistics:
SHL | GP: 00 | G: 00 | A: 00 | P: 00 | +/-: 00 | S: 000
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Career IIHF Statistics:
CAN | GP: 00 | G: 00 | A: 00 | P:00 | +/-: 0 | S: 000
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Awards / Accomplishments:
Drafted 29th OA to Maine Timber (S80)
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LARGEST PUNISHMENT IN SHL HISTORY

@NJBadApple , approved.