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***By-Tor*** · 04-14-2021, 08:20 AM

Let me just say right off the bat - sorry for all the alerts while I was editing my piece the last few days. I didn't know it would send you all those notifications (and yes, I changed the title. It was going to be '...And I Took That Personally' about the gems in the later rounds, but I decided to just do a round one recap.)

WHAT. A. DRAFT!

A HUGE shoutout to @Halkohol and @Sopath for hosting an amazing event. So many great moments, my personal favorite being Halk trying to pronounce Gobbledygook Smile

Granted, this was my first SMJHL draft, so I don't know what the standard is for junior drafts, but this one slammed. A whopping 80+ people tuned in to watch at times (at least from what I could see on Youtube). Sixty players found new homes for next season - some returning to DFA stomping grounds, other joining completely new teams. Seventeen of the sixty were recreates. There were so many great picks for all twelve teams, only time will tell us who was a gem - or an IA bust.

Without further ado, lets get into it. Let's take a look at each first round pick. Each draftee was also asked what they are looking forward to the most with their new team - see what some have to say below!

With the first overall pick in the season 59 SMJHL Draft, the Anaheim Outlaws selected:

Stan Din'desque - C - Inf1d3l. And the honor of 1oa goes to Inf1d3l. Not only is it an honor to go 1oa, but also to be the target of a team trading up. That's exactly what Anaheim did to get to Din'desque first. Stan Din'desque is a 5'11", 195 lb, offensively gifted Czech forward. Din'desque has accumulated 213 TPE, mainly focusing progression in the offensive attributes. He is posting at least a 10 in every offensive category other than Screening, mostly 11s and 12s. With a decent defensive allocation, Din'desque is showing few weak points, even as a new draftee. Anaheim is returning three capped centers (425, 425, 350 TPE), so I can imagine Din'desque lines up as a 4C come S59 puck drop. It's possible he slides to wing, but with his 10 faceoff skill and the other winger draftees, I don't think it will happen. Look for Stan Din'desque to make an immediate impact, even with 4th line minutes.

With the second overall pick in the season 59 SMJHL Draft, the Maine Timber selected:

Duncan the Walrus - RD - SouthPaw. SouthPaw has the high honor to be the first First-Gen player to be selected in the draft. Duncan the Walrus is literally a walrus - 6'11", 300 lbs. Born in the Northern Seas of Russia, this player has developed into a premier defensive defenseman draftee. Duncan the Walrus has basically banded all the TPE he has earned (totaling 207 now). Even without the extra boosts, Duncan the Walrus has good defensive attributes - 12 Defensive Read, 11 Shot Blocking, 11, Positioning, 11 Checking. Add to that 10s or 11s across the board for the physical attributes, and he is modeling into a great punishing defenseman. He did very well in his DFA time with Maine, and I expect him to continue that trend. Maine's current defensive depth slots Duncan the Walrus as a 3rd pair D - probably sliding up to the 2nd pair with Janne Virtanen since Lucas Kaiser is IA. SouthPaw - "I am looking forward to being a part of maines comeback to the top! The organization has so many amazing individuals and the team is so close to something great and I am hoping to help them get there!"

With the third overall pick in the season 59 SMJHL Draft, the Quebec City Citadelles selected:

Greyson Cooper - LW - goilers. Greyson Cooper is a 5'9", 200 lb recreate forward. Interestingly, he has no birthplace - I'm just going to say he was born in international waters during a hurricane. From what I can see, Cooper is a forward's forward. His highest attributes are 12s on Getting Open, Shooting Accuracy, and Speed. He has 220 TPE overall, but a lot of it (25) is still banked. Some of his defensive attributes are lacking, but he is really well rounded despite this. Who needs defense when you're scoring all the goals, anyways? The Citadelles moved up to pick Cooper at third overall, so he must be a great LR presence for this group. I can see him slotting in the third line his rookie year, possibly with some PP time. Quebec City has a bunch of rookies, but if he keeps up his offensive prowess, Greyson Cooper may soon emerge as first among S60 equals for QCC. Goilers - "The thing I’m looking forward to the most with my new team is our trips to Denny’s. I’m hoping we can have a lot of those this season. I’m also looking forward to getting to know my teammates & create chemistry on & off the ice. So far everyone has been super welcoming, I can’t wait to get this season started."

With the fourth overall pick in the season 59 SMJHL Draft, the Nevada Battleborn selected:

Maxwell Carrigan - LD - SecondSucks22. The first thing that must be said about this player is he has an extremely active user. SecondSucks22 is all over discord which definitely factors into this pick - he is a LR leader. As for Maxwell Carrigan, he has all the tools he needs to become a top defenseman. The Canadian defenseman comes in at 5'11", 200 lbs. His attributes are showing a well rounded build, with preference towards being a two-way defender. He has racked up 205 TPE so far and most recently upgraded Shot Blocking to 11, bringing nine separate attributes to at least that level. His best attribute is Defensive Read at 13, followed by Positioning at 12. With a totally stacked blueline, Maxwell Carrigan will probably see 3rd pair minutes for his rookie year. He could really flourish come sophomore year when all that D talent in Nevada gets called up. On what he is looking forward to with Nevada: "I'm mainly looking forward to spending the time with and getting to know my new teammates. I've been able to speak with them and hang out, and they seem like a good group. I also look forward to stomping Anchorage this year, and for the years to come."

With the fifth overall pick in the season 59 SMJHL Draft, the Vancouver Whalers selected:

Uhtred Ragnarsson - C - FiveForFighting. To many, this was a surprise pick. Although Vancouver already had thee sixth pick, Vancouver traded up for this pick to have back-to-back picks. They really wanted two players and British player Uhtred Ragnarsson (especially first-gen user FiveForFighting and his media) was the first of these. At 6'3", 220 lbs, Ragnarsson has the stature to be a dominating presence on the ice. Ragnarsson has accumulated 217 TPE so far and has mostly assigned it equally to offensive and defensive characteristics. Unlike some others in this list, Ragnarsson does not have any attribute at 13, but instead has elected to spread the wealth across many off his attributes. It's paying off, too, because he has ten different attributes at 11 or higher. I see Ragnarsson on the 3rd line in Vancouver this upcoming year, unless another S60 draftee fits in better with the 3rd line. He may fall to centering the 4th line solely for having a 10 faceoff rating. On his team: "I'm looking forward to leading the Whalers back to dominance, bringing back the Cup to Vancouver, and then having a magnificent feast and drinking out of the cup in Bebbanburg."

With the sixth overall pick in the season 59 SMJHL Draft, the Vancouver Whalers selected:

NeverBrokeAgain YoungBoy - LD - dmills3. The second of a back-to-back pick for Vancouver yielded a top recreate defenseman. Coming in at 5'8", 160 lbs, Canadian NeverBrokeAgain YoungBoy is one of the shorter draftees, but he is among the best offensive defensemen in the draft. He has 205 total TPE, but much of it is banked (26). YoungBoy has the Stamina (13) to play a good amount of minutes. With a bunch of ratings at 11 including Defensive Read, Offensive Read, Puckhandling, Passing, and Acceleration, YoungBoy is looking to put the puck in the net. His defensive and physical attributes are good enough so he won't be a liability, but he will make his money in the offensive end. He could really flourish because Vancouver will probably slot him in the 3rd pair role. With less skilled competition, his offensive attributes could shine through. Dmills on the future - "I’m looking forward to competing right away and being an important part of my team. Vancouver is a very exciting place for me to be so I’m looking forward to it a lot."

With the seventh overall pick in the season 59 SMJHL Draft, the Colorado Raptors selected:

Gonzo Gobbledygook - LW - tweedledunn. Gonzo Gobbledygook is a hulking mass from Norway - at 6'4", 240 lbs and ratings of 14 Stamina and 13 Strength, look out! In Gobbledygook, Colorado picked up one of the first DFAs created this year and probably the strongest rookie. With good physical ratings (including the amazing stamina and strength), and great offensive ratings, Gobbledygook looks to be a top performer from this class. Tweedledunn is also an active recreate, so picking him up at seven was a great find. He will probably find himself on the 4th line to start out the year on a very team Colorado team trying for a cup. Gobbledygook has 205 TPE currently and will be looking to shoot up the scoreboard as his active user eats more TPE. On the draft: "Wow! So far so good, all here seem eager - ready to win a cup. Also cool to see so many familiar faces. Turns out I'm happy I dropped so far - I was telling my agent, 'if they pass on me, I’m going to fill their nets with pucks...' I want to prove to Colorado that they made a pretty good decision."

With the eighth overall pick in the season 59 SMJHL Draft, the St. Louis Scarecrows selected:

Marcel Beck - RD - By-Tor. Swiss defenseman Marcel Beck is returning to St. Louis where he was a DFA last season. With 226 TPE, Beck has filled in his defensive and physical attributes nicely. His biggest strengths are Stamina (13) and Acceleration (13). All of the other physical ratings other than Fighting are 11s or 12s. He has decent defensive attributes too, opting for a more defensively minded rookie. His offense is his biggest weakness with quite a few 7 ratings, but those should increase as his defense becomes more solid. The Scarecrows are pretty thin on defense this season, so don't be surprised if Marcel Beck is playing on the 2nd pair and the PK. On the draft: "I loved that I fell to St. Louis. The STL locker room was so welcoming to me in DFA season, I'm pumped to be back with my old crew. I can't wait to possibly become one of the best."

With the ninth overall pick in the season 59 SMJHL Draft, the Detroit Falcons selected:

Zak Wilson - LD - BenDover. A great pick in Zak Wilson adds to an absolutely stacked Detroit blueline. Wilson is a 6'0", 175 lb defenseman from Canada who is looking to make an immediate impact. Tied for the class lead in TPE with 226, Wilson has amazing balance across all attribute categories. Every single "important" physical and defensive attribute is at least a 9 and many of Wilson's offensive attributes are highly developed. With Passing at 11, Offensive Read at 10, and Puckhandling at 10, look for Wilson to slide into a two-way defenseman role with Detroit. Wilson has committed to beefing up his size and hitting in the past week, moving his Checking from 5 to 11 and Hitting from 5 to 9. He will draw 3rd pair minutes this season but he will have a real chance of winning a cup as a rookie.

With the tenth overall pick in the season 59 SMJHL Draft, the Kelowna Knights selected:

Satoru Gojo - C - Matty7478. Gojo is a highly-skilled, offensively minded center from Japan. At 6'3", 205 lbs, Gojo has the size to force his way into the offensive zone and do some damage. Saturo Gojo is about as well-rounded as you can get while focusing on the offensive aspect of the game. Gojo does not have a single 12-rated attribute, but rather has almost every attribute between 9 and 11 (most of the 11s being in offense). His 10 rating in faceoffs will probably lock him in a center role for this upcoming season. Based on the Knights roster, I could see Gojo playing as the 4th line center with possibly some powerplay time due to those offensive skills. He is only one of two picks for Kelowna, so expect Gojo to mature into a top role in his sophomore year. On this season: "What I’m looking forward to most is winning the 4 Star this season with them, in honour of our lord and saviour Mee6."

With the eleventh overall pick in the season 59 SMJHL Draft, the St. Louis Scarecrows selected:

Maverick Seabrook - LW - Tonzy. Maverick Seabrook is a 6'3", 220 lb forward from Great Britain. Currently clocking in at 187 TPE, Seabrook is a very well rounded forward prospect. All ratings outside faceoffs, fighting, and the mental ratings are between 8 and 12. Most focus is on offense and physical ratings - Screening and Offensive Read are 11 and Stamina is a 12. This build is very good if St. Louis is looking for an Up-and-Down forward trying to put up points every night. With training and extra TPE in the preseason, I expect Tonzy to bring this player up to speed very quickly. Yet another reason why this player was drafted in the first round - while only a first gen, Tonzy has great locker room activity and chemistry with peers. I project Maverick Seabrook to hover between the third and fourth lines. "I am so excited to be part of this Scarecrows organization. Not only do I get to play for a team that seems to have a great reputation around the league, but I also get to rock those cool St. Louis threads throughout my time in the SJHL! I was honored to be one of our first round picks and I hope that I can live up to the expectations that go along with that. I know moving up to this level from college will have its challenges but I am just ready to get out there and help the team win any way that I can. We have a lot of talented players on this roster, which means we are going to be throwing a lot of stuff at goal each and every game so I can't wait to be right in the middle of it all and do everything I can to clean up as many goals as possible this season! Overall, I am most excited to just get more plugged into this team and get to know more of the guys in the locker-room. I know I still have a lot to learn and I am excited to see what some of the veterans and coaches can teach me during my time here. I can't wait to hit the ice for the first time as a Scarecrow! Go Crows!!!!"

With the twelfth overall pick in the season 59 SMJHL Draft, the Quebec City Citadelles selected:

Ryan Gardner - LD - Evident_Rogue. This first gen player is a big boy from the USA. 6'4", 251 lbs - Gardner is looking to be a top defenseman. Since QCC drafted a forward earlier in the round, they look to one of the best defensemen available in the late first round. Ryan Gardner currently has 179 TPE, and has loaded up in both the physical and defensive attributes. His current build looks to be a disruptive defensive defenseman with some room to grow on offense. He has multiple stats at 11(7) and an aggression level of 12. With some QCC defensemen graduating to the SHL, Gardner's place will be on the 3rd pair - most likely with Al Yankovic. Look for this pair to be a great shutdown unit for QCC. With that aggression level, don't be suprised if Gardner is given an agitator role. What he is looking forward to: "The Crazy Spicy Sizzlin' Skillet at Dennys, to be honest. I eat a lot of those this season, and we'll have had a good year. Really though, I just want to get out there and help this team win. For me, that means playing solid defense, and getting dirty when needed. I'm not a big points guy, ya know? I want to learn from Boris, too. Love that guy, just getting to watch him play a bit. The team had a lot of players called up, and that's a credit to this organization. We have some youth coming in, including myself. I'm excited for it though, ya know? I believe it's going to be good. Hopefully I can get a few of my teammates to listen to my new metal album I'm working on, too, but we'll see."

That's it for the first round! There were so many other great players taken in rounds 2-6! I wish I could write about you all, but I like my hands attached to my wrists! Honestly, round two was filled with studs - pretty much every pick could have gone in round 1. My charge to all you in the later rounds is to prove that you are those gems! Make those teams that passed up on you regret their decisions!

(3000 words)(2x media)

Credit to enigmatic, Merica, and tweedledunn for sigs

tweedledunn · 04-14-2021, 08:40 AM

great write-up!

***sve7en*** · 04-14-2021, 09:04 AM

Traded out of getting talked about, fuck

***By-Tor*** · 04-14-2021, 09:14 AM

04-14-2021, 09:04 AMsve7en Wrote: Traded out of getting talked about, fuck

I'll make Carolina my next season preview, how bout that

Credit to enigmatic, Merica, and tweedledunn for sigs

FiveForFighting · 04-14-2021, 09:23 AM

Nice write-up!

Ruggsy · 04-14-2021, 09:47 AM

Quote:on a very team Colorado team

Yes I agree we are very team

***By-Tor*** · 04-14-2021, 09:49 AM

04-14-2021, 09:47 AMRuggsy Wrote:
Quote:on a very team Colorado team
Yes I agree we are very team

The onlyest very team

Credit to enigmatic, Merica, and tweedledunn for sigs

Nhamlet · 04-14-2021, 07:33 PM

04-14-2021, 09:04 AMsve7en Wrote: Traded out of getting talked about, fuck

You too eh

Sopath · 04-14-2021, 10:22 PM

Good write up Tor! And just wait till the draft next year. Probably going to be a reddit draft and with the way recruiting has gone there might be 100 people in that lmao.

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