Delta Hockey Academy star Tomas Mrsic selected eighth overall by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft (Photo courtesy of Western Hockey League)

By Scott Roblin

WHL Draft

Delta Academy sniper Mrsic leads Tigers’ 2021 WHL Draft class

Dec 9, 2021 | 10:59 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Offensive dynamo Tomas Mrsic is the next name to watch for Tigers fans, becoming the latest prospect to join the Medicine Hat pipeline.

The Tigers selected Mrsic with the eighth overall pick in 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, which was postponed to Thursday from the spring due to the pandemic.

Mrsic has dominated play with the CSSHL’s Delta Hockey Academy U17 Prep squad this season with 27 goals and 58 points in just 16 games.

Along with his strong play with his club team, the Surrey, B.C. product starred at the 2021 WHL Cup in Red Deer with Team B.C. with nine points in five games and was named a tournament all-star.

Mrsic becomes the highest drafted Tigers player since Josh Williams, who was nabbed at fifth overall in the 2016 WHL Prospects Draft.

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The five-foot-ten centreman joins 2006-born prospects Ben Vatis and Kolby Gapter in joining the Medicine Hat pipeline, as that pair was selected in Wednesday’s WHL U.S. Priority Draft.

Second round

In the second round, Medicine Hat made a pair of selections choosing forward Diego Buttazzoni and netminder Ethan McCallum.

Buttazzoni comes from the Burnaby Winter Club U18 prep program and has racked up seven goals and 21 points in 11 games this season, while McCallum has posted a 3.26 goals against average and a .927 save percentage in 11 games with the Notre Dame U16 Hounds.

McCallum was also named a tournament all-star, like Mrsic, at the recent WHL Cup with Team Manitoba.

Third round

With two picks in the third round as well, Medicine Hat tabbed Delta Hockey Academy forward Cayden Lindstrom and defender Nate Corbet out of the Calgary U18 AAA Flames.

Lindstrom is a teammate of Mrsic and has put up 14 goals and 34 points in 16 games, while Corbet has split time between the U18 AAA and U16 AAA Flames with 17 points in 20 combined games.

Fourth round

Medicine Hat went out to Saskatchewan for their sixth pick of the 2021 draft, electing to select Tisdale U18 AAA Trojans blueliner Simon Martin with the 76th overall pick.

In 20 games played with Tisdale in 2021-22 so far, Martin comes billed with one goal and five points.

Fifth round

NHL bloodlines flowed through the Tigers’ fifth round selection on Thursday, adding Edge School U16 forward Nolan Dupont at 110th overall.

Dupont has scored at over a point-per-game clip with Edge School this year with eight goals and 17 points in 14 games.

He is also the son of former NHL’er Micki Dupont, who played 259 career games between the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues.

After trading their sixth and seventh round picks to the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Seattle Thunderbirds, Medicine Hat would pass on their remaining selections in the draft.

Eighth round

The first player with Medicine Hat ties was taken off the board in the eighth round by the Everett Silvertips.

Everett selected Lethbridge AAA Hurricanes netminder and native Hatter Beck Boiteau with the 163rd overall pick.

Boiteau, who spent two seasons with the local SEAC U15 AAA Tigers, has put up a 2.36 goals against average and an .894 save percentage along with one shutout this year in Lethbridge.

Ninth round

A second local player was nabbed in the ninth round, as forward Josh Evaschesen became the newest member of the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Evaschesen was taken with the 184th overall selection and like Boiteau is a former SEAC Tiger.

Playing this season with the Edge School U16 program out of Calgary, Evaschesen has compiled six goals and 19 points in 14 games.

With the first overall pick, the Spokane Chiefs nabbed Saskatoon Contacts star Berkly Catton who has posted 11 goals and 23 points in 15 games with Shattuck-St. Mary’s U16 AAA program south of the border.