Lakers' 2020 draft results

Thursday night marked the annual WLA Draft where teams around the league welcome the graduating BC Junior players to the league. This was also the first year where territorial protection was a part of the process. Only two teams opted to protect a player from their assigned catchments (Reid Bowering for the Coquitlam Adanacs and Anthony Kalinich was protected by the Maple Ridge Burrards). Due to the fact we chose not to protect a player, we were awarded with a compensatory pick before the draft began. Here is how the draft worked out for your Burnaby Lakers.

COMPENSATORY PICK: Ryan Martel. The Aldergrove B.C. native played his junior lacrosse with the Langley Thunder in the BCJALL where the lefty put up 140 goals, 161 assists for 301 points in his 58-game junior career. Martel plays in the NLL with the Calgary Roughnecks. Beyond this, he was also the recipient of the Bob Reid Memorial Award (Outstanding Achievement) last season.

TRADE ALERT: As the draft got underway and amid a flurry of deals involving other teams, the Commissioner read aloud a trade that would have a big impact on the Lakers' early draft plan. In exchange for the playing rights of Ryland Rees, the Lakers received two of the Adanacs' first round picks. In addition to their existing pick at 4th overall, they would add both the 3rd and 6th overall selections to their opportunities.

Ress played his rookie WLA season with the Lakers in 2019, dressing in nine games and putting up 2 goals and 4 assists in that time. He split his summer lacrosse between Burnaby and Boston, playing a full season for the Cannons of Major League Lacrosse and was selected as an All-Star in his rookie season there. We thank him for his contribution to the club and wish him luck in the future.

1ST ROUND – 3 Selections

3rd Overall: Bobby Kidd III. The 6’3” athletic defender brings an always welcomed size and speed to the backend. In 42 games with the Langley Thunder and Junior Salmonbellies over his BCJALL career, Kidd showed he had some finish and could provide a punch in the transition game with 18 goals and 36 points. The Port Moody native currently attends Young Harris College in Georgia where he plays Long Stick Midfield and Defence. Kidd also dressed for the Senior Lakers for a game in 2019.

4th Overall: Patrick Shoemay. With the second of our three 1st round selections the Lakers added to the backend again taking the 6’5” defender from Surrey. Shoemay is a true stay at home defender that uses his size, intelligence, and speed to take space away from opposing shooters. Currently enrolled at RIT, Patrick was named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team. Patrick also played the first three seasons of his junior career with the Junior Burnaby Lakers, and we are excited to be bringing him back to the Swamp!

6th Overall: Ty Yanko. With our final pick of the first round we went back to taking an offensive player with Ty Yanko. The righty had a breakout season in 2019 putting up 45 goals to go along with 29 assists in 18 games, and added another 19 points in 7 games in the playoffs with the Junior Salmonbellies. Ty spent a majority of 2019 with the Junior A Lakers but was sent to the ‘Bellies to bolster themselves for a playoff run that fell short.

3RD ROUND – 3 Selections

22nd Overall: Mack Burns. Having no selections in the 2nd round we were happy Burns fell to us in the 3rd. Mack is another defender that doubles as a transition threat. While he brings some of what Shoemay and Kidd have, what he really brings most is an element every team needs – sandpaper. Burns scored 15 goals and 27 points to go along with his 173 pims  over his 56-game junior career split between the ‘Bellies and Lakers.

23rd Overall: Kieran McKay. McKay is another Junior A Laker/Bellie graduate selected by the team. The lefty began his BCJALL career as a defender in Langley with the Thunder but was traded to Burnaby prior to the 2018 season. 2018 proved to be a breakout season as the Lakers moved him to play offence where he put up 50 points in 21 games on a team that struggled to score. McKay finished his career with 6 points in 5 playoff games with the ‘Bellies last season.

25th Overall: Dawson Rodin. Dawson played on the right side of the offence through his Junior A career with the Langley Thunder and Coquitlam Adanacs. Last season Rodin put up 36 points in 19 games to go along with 26 pims with the Junior As. Hailing from Chilliwack, Rodin also plays college hockey at Marian University in Wisconsin as a goaltender.

4TH ROUND – 1 Selection

29th Overall: Torin Van Rheenen. The first goaltender selected in the 2020 WLA Draft from Port Coquitlam put up a respectable 26-14-0-2 record with a 9.06 GAA and .812 sv% over his Junior A career spent entirely with the Langley Thunder. Torin also has the ability to move the ball to transition players, putting up 29 assists in 62 career BCJALL games.

5TH ROUND – 1 Selection

36th Overall: Philip Buque. With our 9th pick in the 2020 WLA Draft we looked East and took Oshawa, Ontario native Philip Buque. Buque, however, spent his Junior A career in Coquitlam where the righty put up 44 goals and 65 assists for 109 points in 39 career games. Philip is also the younger brother of the Senior Salmonbellies’ (and New York Riptide) goaltender Alexis Buque.

6TH ROUND – 1 Selection

38th Overall: Kurtis Shum. Shum is another Junior Laker graduate, and played all three years exclusively with the Lakers. Over the course of his BCJALL career Shum put up 59 points in 44 games, to go along with a gentlemanly 0 pims.

7TH ROUND – 1 Selection

50th Overall: Mackenzie Rope. With our second to last pick of the draft we added a little more toughness to the backend by taking Rope. Rope is a it of a utility player, too. In his first year of Junior A lacrosse with the Thunder, Rope put up a respectable 21 goals and 19 points in 17 games before moving to the back gate for his final two seasons in the BCJALL where he established himself as one of the tougher players in the league. Mackenzie showed some finish, shooting 50% over his junior career.

8TH ROUND – 1 Selection

57th Overall: Lucas Greene. With our final choice in the 2020 WLA Draft, we selected Lucas Greene. The offensive lefty had a short BCJALL career (only 18 games), but was relatively productive, managing to put up 35 points over those games. Greene proved to be more of a playmaker than a shooter almost doubling the amount of goals he had with assists.

The Lakers are extremely excited to get the 2020 season underway, and the entire management is thrilled with the fresh crop of young talent picked up at the draft. See you at the Swamp in the Spring!