A look back at Eagles draft history
Review: Screaming Eagles made defenceman Ettinger its first-ever pick in 1997
SYDNEY — Trevor Ettinger made Cape Breton Screaming Eagles history before ever stepping on the ice for the Sydney-based Quebec Major Junior Hockey League franchise.
The Truro product was taken with the Screaming Eagles first-round pick, No. 14 overall, becoming the first player to be drafted by the Cape Breton team at the 1997 QMJHL Entry Draft.
The six-foot-five, 220pound defenceman played two-and-a-half seasons in Cape Breton, serving as the club's captain in 1999-2000, and was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the sixthround of the NHL Entry Draft in 1998.
He recorded two goals and 17 points with 885 penalty minutes in 155 games.
After his time in Cape Breton, Ettinger went on to finish his major junior career between the Moncton Wildcats and Shawinigan Cataractes. He later spent time in the ECHL and the American Hockey League in Dayton and Syracuse respectively. Ettinger died on July 26, 2003. He was 23 years old.
As the Eagles prepare for their 25th QMJHL Entry Draft this weekend, the Cape Breton Post looks back the team's first-ever draft, and the players selected.
Round 2, No. 29 overall — Jean Mallette. The defenceman played two seasons in Cape Breton from 1997-99 before finishing his major junior career with the Quebec Rempats in 2001. After the QMJHL, he played three years at the University of QuebecTrois-Rivières before retiring in 2004.
Round 3, No. 44 overall - Eric Naudi. A Montreal product, he was the Eagles first-ever forward selected at the draft. He only lasted 14 games with the team in 199798, before returning to Quebec to play with Longueuil Collège-Français. He finished his career in 2005 playing senior hockey in Quebec.
Round 4, No. 59 overall - Jonathan Wilhelmy. The Laval, Que., product was Cape Breton's first-ever goaltender taken in the draft, but he didn't pan out like future netminders in the organization. He played a season-and
a-half with the team, posting only two wins. He went on to play for the Quebec Remparts and the former Montreal Rocket. He retired playing senior hockey in Quebec in 2004.
• Round 5, No. 61 overall - Denis Aucoin. He never played a game in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey, but instead played in the Maritime Junior Hockey League between the Dartmouth Oland Exports and Halifax Oland Exports from 1997-99. The Charlottetown native later played two years of university hockey at Dalhousie in Halifax, before retiring from senior hockey in New Brunswick in 2004.
• Round 7, No. 104 overall - Nicolas Doucet. The Montreal forward never played a game in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. After the 1997 draft, he suited up for the Montreal Juniors of the Quebec Junior 'AAA' Hockey League. No other details on his career were available.
• Round 8, No. 119 overall - Dion Burhae. A small forward, the Charlottetown product never played with Cape Breton, but did play in the Maritime Junior Hockey League for Charlottetown, Dartmouth and Halifax. His last statistics came during the 2000-01 season.
• Round 10, No. 141 overall - Robbie Bennett. The defenceman played a seasonand-a-half in Sydney before spending parts of three seasons with the Truro Bearcats of the Maritime Junior Hockey League. He later played one season with the UPEI Panthers. His last known statistics are from 2010-11 when he dressed for the Corner Brook Royals senior hockey team in Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Round 11, No. 156 overall - Graeme Power. A Halifax product, Power only played eight games with the Eagles during the 1997-98 season. The forward went on to play with the Oland Exports of the junior 'A' league, before finishing his career with a fiveyear stint with the St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Antigonish.
• Round 11, No. 164 overall Alain Turcotte. The forward played a season-and-a-half in Cape Breton before joining the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, where he finished his major junior career. His last known team was the Lachine Maroons of the Quebec Junior 'AAA' Hockey League in 2000-01.
• Round 12, No. 171 overall - Derek Field. The Halifax forward never played a game in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He finished his career in 2001 after spending three years with the Truro Bearcats.
• Round 12, No. 179 overall - Andrew Neave. A defenceman, the Sackville, N.S., native played 39 games with Cape Breton during the 1997-98 season, before joining the Amherst Ramblers of the junior 'A' league for the final season of his competitive career.
• Round 13, No. 194 overall - Andrew Frees. The fivefoot-10, 185-pound forward from Eel River Crossing, N.B., never played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey, but spent time with the Restigouche River Rats and Campbellton Tigers, both teams in the junior 'A' league. His last known team was the Restigouche Nord Vikings senior club in New Brunswick in 2016.
• Round 14, No. 205 overall - John Rousseau. No information was available on the Prince Edward Island product. When the Eagles drafted him, Rousseau was a defenceman.
• Round 15, No. 214 overall - John Ramsay. He was a defenceman, but no information was available.
The 2021 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft will take place Friday and Saturday virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.