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It’s draft week in the WHL, as the US priority draft took place this morning and the standard prospects draft will go tomorrow.
All clubs held two picks in this morning’s US priority draft, a snake draft format, which meant the Rockets picked 17th and 28th.
The Rockets selected a pair of teammates in the WHL's US Priority Draft today, picking defencemen Jackson Gillespie and Ryder McLeod.
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) May 18, 2022
Recap ➡️ https://t.co/kgF9AEI8Kk pic.twitter.com/hneqlEr8bS
With their first-round pick, Kelowna selected Jackson Gillespie from the Dallas Stars Elite 14U AAA program.
Eleven picks later, the Rockets went right back to the same program to take Gillespie’s teammate Ryder McLeod with the club’s second-round pick.
Both Gillespie and McLeod are defencemen, with the former standing 5’11” and 175 lbs, while the latter is 5’10” and 150 lbs. Both were born in 2007.
While the standard prospects draft will happen on Thursday, the Rockets won’t have much to do for the first chunk of the day.
Kelowna traded a number of 2022 picks in an attempt to beef up the roster ahead of hosting the 2020 Memorial Cup, which was ultimately cancelled due to COVID-19.
As a result, the Rockets won’t make a selection in tomorrow’s draft until the fourth round, 81st overall, unless GM Bruce Hamilton swings a deal.
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