Photos courtesy of Andy Devlin / LA Media & Lucas Chudleigh / Apollo Multimedia

By Nathan Crosby - Brooks Bandits

First Round Talent

Bandits sign Ozzy Wiesblatt and Jake Neighbours on loan from WHL

Nov 2, 2020 | 4:43 PM

BROOKS, AB – The Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) have signed two 1st Round NHL Draft Picks, on loan from their respective Western Hockey League (WHL) teams, the club announced on Monday.

Forwards Ozzy Wiesblatt and Jake Neighbours join the club immediately and will be with the team under December 20th.

Wiesblatt was selected in the 1st Round, 31st overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

The 5’10, 183 lb forward from Calgary, AB has spent the past two season with the Prince Albert Raiders, where he tallied 70 points (25G, 45A) in 64 regular season games during the 2019-20 campaign, which was cut short by COVID-19. During the 2018-29 season, he put up 39 points (15G, 24A) in 64 games, helping the Raiders win a WHL Championship.

He’s the younger brother of former Bandits Ocean and Orca Wiesblatt. He played his U18 AAA hockey with the Calgary Buffaloes.

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Neighbours was taken in the 1st Round, 26th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

The 5’11, 201 lb forward from Airdrie, AB also played with Wiesblatt for the U18 AAA Buffaloes before joining the Edmonton Oil Kings. During the 2019-20 campaign, Neighbours scored 70 points (23G, 47A) in 64 regular season games. The previous season, Neighbours put up 24 points (11G, 13A) in 47 regular season games with Edmonton, helping his team to the Eastern Conference Final before falling to Wiesblatt’s Raiders in six games.

The Bandits travel to Drumheller this Friday to face the Dragons in exhibition play. Game time is 7:00 PM and will be broadcast live on Real Country 105.7 FM and Hockey TV.