For Immediate Release:
May 2, 2012

Silvertips Prepare for Tenth Bantam Draft

EVERETT – The Everett Silvertips are making final preparations for their 2012 WHL Bantam Draft, which takes place tomorrow starting at 7:30 am Pacific time at the Deerfoot Inn in Calgary, Alberta.  The draft allows WHL clubs to replenish their systems annually with graduating Bantam-aged players from throughout western Canada and the western United States.  Everett holds the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft.

Fans are invited to Click Here for a free webcast of the entire first round of the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft starting at 7:30AM PST.  For complete live coverage of all Silvertips selections throughout the entirety of tomorrow’s draft, log on to www.everettsilvertips.com or follow @WHLSilvertips on Twitter.

The Silvertips are expected to make nine picks in the 2012 draft, starting with their second straight year picking seventh in the first round.  Last year Everett used the #7 choice on dynamic forward Ty Mappin, who recently helped the Red Deer Rebels Midget AAA Club win the Canadian Midget National Championship.  Current Silvertips standouts Kent Simpson, Ryan Murray and Nick Walters were all selected with later first-round picks than the one Everett will make this season.  

After round one the Silvertips will make two draft choices in the third round (#59 and #66) and one early in the fourth (#70), giving them three selections in a span of 11 picks during that stretch.  Everett will then hold one pick in each round from sixth through tenth to add as many as nine new prospects to their 50-player protected list.

Players eligible for the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft will be 1997-born players who reside in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.  The order of selection for the first round of the draft is determined through a weighted lottery consisting of the six non-playoff teams. The draft order is based on the inverse overall standings from the regular season. 

Everett Silvertips 2012 WHL Bantam Draft Picks
Round 1:  #7
Round 2:  None
Round 3:  #59, #66
Round 4:  #70
Round 5:  None
Round 6:  #128
Round 7:  #136
Round 8:  #158
Round 9:  #180
Round 10: #202

Log on to www.everettsilvertips.com throughout the offseason for all the latest Silvertips news and events, including our Select-a-Seat event on May 12 and next month’s NHL Entry Draft.  The Silvertips tenth anniversary 2012-13 WHL season begins in September.  For more information, call 425-252-5100.