It’s not always easy being the first person to break new ground, and Matteo Michels knows this well.
In 2020, the WHL held their very first U.S. Priority Draft, an opportunity for teams to acquire the rights to young players south of the border separate from the traditional WHL draft format. Michels was selected 18th overall by the Regina Pats, and just over a year later, he was suiting up for the Pats for the very first time at just 16 years old.
“I talked to a handful of different teams,” Michels said. “Coming up to the draft, I had done the WHL Cup and there were a bunch of teams there that I talked to. Regina showed a lot of interest. When I saw Regina’s first pick come, I kind of knew I was going to get picked there.”
The lure of college sports is strong in the U.S. and it can make for tough competition when it comes to attracting players. In Michels case, however, some family familiarity was enough to help sway him toward junior hockey north of the border.
“My parents are both Canadian and they grew up watching the OHL,” said Michels. “They’re very educated on what the WHL is and how high of a level it is. It was kind of an easy decision. I wanted to play junior at a young age and that opportunity came for me, so I took it.”
From that first U.S. draft, only three players have so far suited up in WHL games: Michels, Gracyn Sawchyn and Briggs Orr, and Orr played only half a season with the Calgary Hitmen before returning to the United States. In the years since then, however, more American players have started to make their way north of the border after hearing their names called.
“Now it’s grown a lot more and there are a lot more kids looking that route,” said Michels. “I think there’s are four or five Texas kids alone and even more Americans that are playing now.”
The transition to WHL hockey from the United States AAA ranks, and to Canada from the United States overall, wasn’t always an easy one but now, in his second junior hockey home, Michels has found a groove. He finished last season with 17 goals and 31 points, both career highs, and still has two years of eligibility left to build on that career season.
“It was a completely different game,” he said. “Going from AAA to the WHL, that adjustment to the way the game is played, how much pressure is on you, people are always watching you, it was a very different game.”
Players eligible for the 2024 WHL U.S. Priority Draft are 2009-born players who reside in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
(Article courtesy of Rob Mahon)
