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History was made during the 2022 WHL prospect draft today.
With the club’s 13th round pick, 268th overall, the Vancouver Giants selected defenceman Chloe Primerano from the Burnaby Winter Club U15 Prep team.
Primerano is the first female skater to ever be selected in a CHL selection draft.
With the 268th-overall selection in the 2022 #WHLDraft, the @WHLGiants select Chloe Primerano of @BWCAcademy.
— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 19, 2022
Congratulations to Chloe, the first woman skater chosen in any @CHLHockey selection draft! pic.twitter.com/HdFZrlIWRA
“Chloe’s play this season in the top U15 league in Canada made her fully deserving of this selection today,’ said Giants GM Barclay Parneta.
“The Vancouver Giants are happy to recognize her strong play by drafting her to the Western Hockey League.”
The 15-year-old scored twice and added 17 assists in 30 games this season, adding a pair of assists in three games during the CSSHL playoffs.
"Chloe's play this season in the top U15 league in Canada made her fully deserving of this selection today.
— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 19, 2022
"The Vancouver Giants are happy to recognize her strong play by drafting her to the Western Hockey League."
– Barclay Parneta, GM of the Vancouver Giants pic.twitter.com/KMDhCjqGdV
Parneta said the first thing that stands out about Primerano is her skating.
“She is efficient in her movements and uses this to her advantage specifically on defence, allowing her to play sound positional hockey and rarely find herself out of position,” he said.
The Giants GM added that the club’s new draft pick is adept at moving the puck and is calm under the pressure of opposing forechecks.
“She is able to deliver the puck crisply both in breakout and transition situations,” noted Parneta. “Her processing speed allows her to consistently make good decisions in all three zones of the rink.”
— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 19, 2022
While Primerano is the first skater to ever be drafted into the CHL, she follows in the footsteps of Taya Currie, a goaltender who was drafted by the OHL’s Sarnia Sting in the 14th round of the 2021 draft.
Four female goalies have appeared in CHL games over the last 30 years, including Eve Gascon in the QMJHL earlier this year.
Manon Rheaume and Charline Labonte also played in goal for QMJHL teams during the 1990s, while Team Canada legend Shannon Szabados played for the WHL’s Tri-City Americans in September 2002.
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