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By Scott Roblin

U.S. Priority Draft

Tigers snap up forwards Silver, Davis in 2022 U.S. Priority Draft

May 18, 2022 | 11:08 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The Medicine Hat Tigers turned to offence on Wednesday to kick off one of the biggest draft weeks in the franchise’s history.

The Tigers selected a pair of forwards in the 2022 U.S. Priority Draft, their first picks out of the 2007-born draft class.

Holding the final pick of the first round at 22nd overall, Medicine Hat nabbed sniper Max Silver out of California’s Fairmont Prep Warriors program.

Silver, hailing from Poway, California, had a monster season that saw him tally 51 goals and 72 points in 51 games at the U14 AAA level.

The six-foot, 165-pound forward also added 17 goals and 26 points in 18 games in high school play with Fairmont Prep.

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Medicine Hat held back-to-back picks on Wednesday and quickly selected forward Ben Davis from the Colorado U14 AAA Thunderbirds with the 23rd overall pick.

There are no stats available on Davis’ season with the Thunderbirds, however the Denver product is listed at five-foot-eleven and 154 pounds.

This was the third U.S. Priority Draft the Tigers have taken part in since its introduction in 2020, however they have yet to have a player commit to the team since.

Oliver Moore, the Tigers’ first round pick in 2020, has already committed to the University of Minnesota while there’s no word yet on Medicine Hat’s other three picks in forward Josh Erickson, goaltender Ben Vatis or defenceman Kolby Gapter.

“They’re all kind of deciding where they want to go and what they want to do,” said Tigers head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins. “Hopefully we’ll have a couple up at camp this year so we can get a look at them.”

Medicine Hat now will turn their focus to a big 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, in which they hold the first overall pick for the first time since 1999, along with the 16th and 23rd overall selections.

The 2022 WHL Prospects Draft gets underway at 9:30 am on Thursday.