The Kootenay Ice will pick second at the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft this summer.
With the worst 2016-17 record in the league, the team had the best odds of winning the lottery that determines the draft order, but lost out to the Prince Albert Raiders.
There were 21 balls featuring the logos of the teams that missed this year’s WHL playoffs that were able to be selected randomly. Kootenay had six, the Vancouver Giants had 5, and Prince Albert had 4.
The Raiders ball was selected, and the rest of the draft order was determined by the teams rankings from worst to best.
Prince Albert has the first selection, Kootenay is second, Vancouver is third, the Edmonton Oil Kings are fourth, the Saskatoon Blades are fifth, and the Spokane Chiefs are sixth.
The remainder of the draft order will be determined following the conclusion of the WHL playoffs.
After finishing in last place in 2015-16, the Ice won the lottery and selected Okotoks-born forward Peyton Krebs.
Krebs played in six games for the Ice this season as an affiliate player and had a goal and five assists. He is expected to be a regular on the team’s roster as a 16-year-old this coming season.
The 2017 Draft will take place on May 4 and give the Ice the opportunity to select 2002 Canadian born players living in either B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon, as well as a number of American states.
