Giants’ first-rounder ‘through the roof’ to join WHL franchise
To hear Vancouver Giants firstrounder Zack Ostapchuk tell it, there was a Philadelphia hotel tuned into Thursday morning’s WHL bantam draft.
The Giants used the 12th-overall selection to grab the rights to Ostapchuk, a centre from St. Albert, Alta., who turns 15 later this month, but already checks in at six foot two and 175 pounds.
He’s currently in Philadelphia because he’s playing in the Under-15 Selects Invitational on a team called the Western Canada Selects. The squad features seven of the first 14 picks in Thursday’s WHL draft, including No. 1 overall pick Dylan Guenther, a forward from Edmonton who spent this past season alongside Ostapchuk on the Edmonton-based Northern Alberta Xtreme bantam prep team.
Vancouver’s first of two thirdround picks, goaltender Drew Sim from Tees, Alta., is also playing with the Western Canada team in the City of Brotherly Love. The Giants selected 10 players on Thursday.
“It was pretty crazy. The phones were just ringing all morning,” said Ostapchuk, whose team managed to find time to beat Maroon Hockey of Mississauga 6-1 Thursday morning as well. “We started out as two groups in two rooms, but then we got together in the lobby afterwards and celebrated.”
Thanks to making the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, the Giants didn’t pick in the top three selections for the first time since 2014. Ostapchuk is their latest first-round pick, in fact, since they took Ty Ronning with the 15th overall choice in 2012. Ronning graduated from the WHL at the end of this just-completed season.
“I was just through-the-roof excited when I heard it was Vancouver. I was pumped,” Ostapchuk said. “I’ve heard great things. I’ve heard it’s a great organization and a great town and they ’ve really developed so many players over the years.”
Giants GM Glen Hanlon said in a press release that, “Zack is a competitor who brings a solid mix of skill, size and strength up the middle. He leads by example in all areas of the ice, skates well and does whatever it takes to win.”
I’ve heard great things. I’ve heard it’s a great organization and a great town and they’ve really developed so many players over the years.
In 30 games this past season with the Xtreme, Ostapchuk had 24 goals and 21 assists.
Ostapchuk can’t become a regular with the Giants until the 201920 season at the earliest. He said Thursday he plans to suit up with a Northern Alberta midget team this coming season.
By league rules, he can only play five games as an underage call-up with the Giants until Northern Alberta’s season is finished unless he’s granted an exemption because of injuries in the Vancouver lineup.
Vancouver’s first-round pick last May, forward Justin Sourdif, saw duty in four regular-season games, but wound up playing in all seven games in the team’s opening-round playoff loss to the Victoria Royals.