The Burnaby Winter Club put three players from its Tier 1 bantam A1 hockey team into the first round of the Western Hockey League bantam draft on Thursday.
Dante Fabbro, a 6-0 right-handed defenceman, was picked up eighth overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds.
The 15-year-old Fabbro will join best friend and winter club product Mathew Barzal, who garnered 103 points, including a record 74 assists, with the Northeast Chiefs of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League last season. Barzal signed with the T-Birds on May 1.
"Wow, I'm extremely excited not just to be drafted but to be going to the same team as Mat," Fabbro, 14, told Coquitlam NOW sports editor Dan Olson. "This was something we definitely discussed before the draft, but to have it happen is just incredible. . When Seattle called my name, Mat called me about 10 seconds later."
"I'm super excited," Barzal said. "I'm really hoping he'll sign. He's a phenomenal player and one of my best friends.
"He's a great player and in my opinion the best (1998) defence-man around. . He's a competitor and he never lets you beat him. For me, he's tough to get around. When we did one-on-one drills, he was a monster to work against."
Vancouver forward Jake Kryski also went in the opening round, drafted 13th by the Prince Albert Raiders.
Another winter club defenceman, Matt Barberis, could play his future junior hockey closer to home. The 5-10 defender went to the Vancouver Giants in the 20th spot following an earlier deal that sent David Musil to the Edmonton Oil Kings.
As suspected the Giants drafted consensus first overall Tyler Benson from the South Side Athletic Club in Edmonton with the No. 1 pick.
This year, the Edmonton forward broke the Alberta midget league record for the most points in a season, tallying 146 points, including 57 goals in 33 games for the regular season and Western Canadian champs.
A fourth winter club product, forward Jaeger White, will be going back to his home province after been taken in the fourth round by Lethbridge with the 72nd pick acquired from Regina.
Burnaby goalie Tyler Shugrue was also picked up by Vancouver, going in the fifth round 102nd overall with a pick acquired from the Red Deer Rebels. Owen Seidel went in the seventh round to Swift Current.
"(The draft) kind of fell into the spots we thought it was going to fall into," said Burnaby Winter Club bantam head coach John Batchelor, who was surprised Fabbro was not selected in the seven spot by the Everett Silvertips.
But in the end, Batchelor added the draft worked out well for Fabbro, his best friend Barzal and the Thunderbirds.
"I talked with Dante and he's happy to go to Seattle, Seattle's happy to have him and Matty (Barzal) is happy to have him.
"All in all, I'm pretty happy and hope we get a few more (players drafted)."
