Two up-and-coming American-born hockey players are Victoria Bound.
On Wednesday, May 8, the WHL held its annual WHL U.S. Priority Draft. In the two-round draft, the Victoria Royals held the eighth and 30th overall selections.
With their first round pick, the Royals selected forward Brayden Willis from the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 14U. The 14-year old led his team in scoring last season with 54 points (27 goals, 27 assists) in 46 games.
Hailing from Gilbert, AZ, Willis stands at 5’7” and 151 pounds.
In the second round, Victoria selected defenceman Cooper Avelar from MN Walleye 14U AAA. Standing at 5’7”, 134 pounds from Medina, MN, he finished third on his team in points last season (three goals, seven assists).
Next for the Royals is the WHL Prospects Draft, which takes place on Thursday, May 9. The Royals once again have the eighth overall pick.
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