With the 24th overall pick in the Season 9 NWJHL Draft, the Vancouver Whalers selected Vancouver NW Giants Right Winger Chad Levasseur, leading to a frenzy of googling, as Whalers fans tried to decide for themselves whether Roberto Martucci should have a statue built in his honour or whether he should be fired.

The answer, of course, is somewhere in between, though preferably further away from the option. Levasseur was a safe pick, a two way type who was high on nearly every scout’s pre-draft rankings, but it’s impossible to say whether he’ll be a future Hall-of-Famer or an Minor League-bound bust or somewhere in-between. What we can do is try to figure out just who Chad Levasseur is and why he was picked in the fourth round by the Whalers.



At 18-years-old, Levasseur led the Vancouver NW Giants in goals, assists, and, by extension, points during the regular season. His ability to put up points on a poor NW Giants team says a lot, as he scored at a more than point-per-game pace with 91 points in 54 games. Levasseur was voted the best playmaker in the BCMML's Western Conference in a coach’s poll and his 72 assists were 28 more than anyone else on his team, which makes me wonder if he could have improved on his 19 goals with better playmaking from his teammates.

Looking at the release on his wristshot definitely makes me think that Levasseur has great goalscoring potential and a few scouting reports note that his shot is one of the best in the draft. At 5'10″ 185 lbs and with his hands and shot, Levasseur projects as a second line two-way player in the NHL.




Look for Levasseur to play on the second or third line at the start of the season. It may not be a bad idea for Levasseur to feel out the NWJHL lower on the depth chart. With Williams, Langabeer, and yes a motivated Chad Levasseur. Watch for the Vancouver Whalers to produce some serious SHL talent.

Looks like we got a steal Good work man, keep it up!