THUNDERBIRDS

T-Birds sign four 2001-born prospects

Aug 30, 2017, 2:30 PM

The Seattle Thunderbirds took a big stride in bolstering their future by signing four 2001-born prospects on Wednesday.

Graeme Bryks, Samuel Huo, Cade McNelly and Cole Schwebius all committed to the Thunderbirds and will be eligible for full-time roster spots this season as 16-year-olds.

Bryks, a native of Edmonton, Alta., was an eighth-round pick in 2016. Before Wednesday, Jake Lee was the only prospect from the 2016 draft class that had signed with the T-Birds.

Playing in the Alberta Midget Hockey League last season, Bryks had 26 points in 32 games on 11 goals and 15 assists. He possesses WHL-ready size at 6 foot 2 and 185 pounds. In a press release from the team, general manager Russ Farwell described Bryks as a two-way center who will make a strong bid to play on the team in his first full season of eligibility. With Seattle’s forward ranks being thinned after winning the WHL Championship last season, finding young talent who can step in right away will be crucial to future success.

Huo, a training camp invitee as a 15-year-old, is from nearby Richmond, B.C. and played with the Burnaby Winter Club last season, which has produced a number of recent T-Birds players, including center Mathew Barzal. Huo had 32 points in 28 games with Burnaby last year and, like Bryks, possesses good size at 6 foot 3 and 170 pounds.

McNelly bolsters the T-Birds’ blue line for the foreseeable future and projects as a hard-hitting, stay-at-home defenseman. Farwell compared him to current T-Birds 20-year-old Turner Ottenbreit, who has become a fan favorite in his three seasons with the team. A late birthday, McNelly is still only 15 but will be eligible for a full-time roster spot this season. Another training camp invitee in 2016, McNelly didn’t shy away from any contact despite being one of the youngest players on the ice.

Schwebius adds depth to the T-Birds goaltending pipeline and becomes the third draft pick from 2016 to sign with the team. He has been impressive in both training camps with the team and shown steady improvement since being selected in the Bantam Draft. Prior to his signing, the only two goaltenders the team had signed were Carl Stankowski and Matt Berlin, so Schwebius not only bolsters the future in net but adds some much needed insurance between the pipes right now. Schwebius had a very good season for the Okanagan Hockey Academy Elite 15 team last year, posting a 1.93 goals against average and a .911 save percentage.

Wednesday should be a day that has a great impact on the T-Birds’ future, as there were many questions surrounding the team’s lack of depth in the 2001 class. It can be concerning when players don’t sign right away, but Seattle seems to have quieted some of those fears by adding four prospects who have a real future in this league.

Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds GM Bil La Forge has some moves to make this offseason. (Brian Liesse/T-Birds photo)...

Andy Eide

Thunderbirds GM Bil La Forge dishes on the upcoming offseason

Thunderbirds general manager Bil La Forge will make some moves this summer to improve his club. Will they be big ones?

3 years ago

Seattle’s Keltie Jeri-Leon celebrates his final WHL goal Sunday against Spokane. (Brian Liess...

Andy Eide

Thunderbirds end strange and hard season on a high note with dominating win over Spokane

The Seattle Thunderbirds dealt with a lot of adversity this season but end on a high note.

3 years ago

Keltie Jeri-Leon plays his final WHL game for the Thunderbirds Sunday night. (Brian Liesse)...

Andy Eide

Keltie Jeri-Leon set to play his final WHL game as Thunderbirds face Spokane Sunday

After five seasons, Seattle's lone over-aged player, Keltie Jeri-Leon will play his final junior game Sunday night.

3 years ago

Seattle rookie Scott Ratzlaff won his first WHL game in his first start. (Judy Simpson/TC Americans...

Andy Eide

Scott Ratzlaff earns first WHL win as Thunderbirds beat Tri-City

Behind a rookie goalie, the Thunderbirds kicked off the season's final weekend with a 5-2 win in Kennewick against the Tri-City Americans.

3 years ago

The Seattle Thunderbirds celebrate after snapping a six-game losing streak Sunday night. (Brian Lie...

Andy Eide

Thunderbirds enjoy winning again after snapping six-game losing streak

The Seattle Thunderbirds have been scuffling but battled against a good Portland Winterhawks club to snap a six-game losing streak.

3 years ago

Thunderbirds forward Reid Schaefer fights for position Sunday in Portland. (Megan Connelly/Winterha...

Andy Eide

Dealing with adversity, young Thunderbirds drop pair of games in Portland

Injuries and penalties have thrown a ton of adversity at the young Thunderbirds which showed up in a pair of losses at Portland this weekend.

3 years ago

T-Birds sign four 2001-born prospects