Rockets’ top bantam pick, Bowen, commits to NCAA North Dakota
Family grateful for 2nd-round selection, WHL option in Kelowna
When the Kelowna Rockets selected Ethan Bowen in the second round of this month’s WHL bantam draft, it was no secret that the prized prospect had options.
This week, the other option was revealed — with Bowen announcing on Twitter his commitment to the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs, his hometown team, and also to the NCAA’s University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks.
Bowen, who just turned 15 years old on May 14, would have been a first-round pick in the bantam draft but fell to the Rockets at 39th overall as rumours swirled he was planning to go the college route and follow the lead of Kelowna transplant Tyson Jost.
Based on talent alone, Bowen probably would have been picked in the top five and might have been the first forward off the board — potentially going as high as second overall to the Kootenay Ice, who instead gave that distinction to Connor McClennon, who played for Winfield-based Pursuit of Excellence this past season.
As team after team passed on Bowen — most of them twice and some as many as three or even four times — the Rockets decided he was worth the risk with their top pick of the 2017 draft, having previously traded their first-rounder to Prince Albert in January for over-age ringer Reid Gardiner.
Following the draft, Bowen called it an “honour” to be picked by Kelowna.
“You guys were one of the teams I wanted to go to the most. I couldn’t be happier,” Bowen told Rockets play-byplay man Regan Bartel back on May 4.
“Kelowna is a great organization and I’m very happy to have a great WHL option,” he added on the team’s website. “I really appreciate the opportunity to be associated with the Rockets. It’s a great organization with a great history of success.”
Bowen also stated, at that time, he planned on attending rookie camp here in August.
That was reason for optimism — though prospects can attend camps without jeopardizing their NCAA eligibility — but Wednesday’s announcement raised all kinds of questions.
Would Bowen still be coming to camp?
Do the Rockets still have a hope of signing him?
Contacted through Twitter, Bowen’s father, Steve, shed light on the situation.
The short answers are yes and maybe . . . but not likely.
“As you know, Ethan dropped dramatically in the draft because we would not commit to any WHL team prior to the draft. The unfortunate part about this whole thing is Kelowna, as a rule, doesn’t interview players or families prior to the draft, otherwise we would have told them Ethan’s intentions to play BCHL and UND,” Steve wrote in responding to a direct message. “Out of respect for Kelowna and the WHL (my older son actually plays in the WHL), we will attend camp and will have an open mind when we talk to Kelowna management, however we are pretty set on Ethan’s path.
“Kelowna is a classy group and believe they can convince us to change our minds. The fact they drafted him with their first pick and still a high pick at No. 39, we owe it to them to listen, and I know Ethan is looking forward to a WHL camp experience.”
Sure, there’s a chance, but it sounds slim at best.
Regardless, Steve Bowen stressed that the family was grateful for Kelowna picking Ethan and that the Rockets have been first class in how they have dealt with Ethan and the family since the draft.
As of now, the plan is for Bowen to be an affiliated player with the Chilliwack Chiefs this coming season, making his BCHL debut at some point. Chilliwack is hosting the 2018 RBC Cup national championship tournament next May and Bowen could be suiting up in that showcase as well.
The NCAA eligibility rules prevent Bowen from signing with the Rockets and playing even a single WHL game. If he did, Bowen would forfeit his scholarship to UND.
If signed, as a 15-year-old, the WHL eligibility rules would limit Bowen to playing a maximum of five games with the Rockets in 2017-18. He could play full-time for Kelowna, or Chilliwack, as a 16-year-old in 2018-19.
Ryan Bowen, Ethan’s older brother, also started his junior career with BCHL Chilliwack before making the move to WHL Moose Jaw and eventually landing in Lethbridge as part of a blockbuster trade back in November.
An 18-year-old right winger, turning 19 in December, Ryan was part of the package for Brayden Burke, Lethbridge’s leading scorer the previous season.
In addition to getting Bowen from Moose Jaw, Lethbridge received a 2017 second-round pick and a conditional 2019 third-round pick.
As a result, Lethbridge ended up with back-to-back selections right before Kelowna in this year’s draft — at 37th and 38th overall — and didn’t take a chance on uniting the Bowen brothers.
Perhaps that should have been a red flag for the Rockets, but if Bowen ever plays for Kelowna in the coming seasons, he could very well be the steal of the draft at that spot (39th).