Kue-Gene 'Ethan' Park (Supplied)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

preparing for the future

Rebels finish two days of prospect mining with U.S. & Prospects drafts

May 12, 2023 | 10:54 AM

The Red Deer Rebels have completed two days of drafting, making a total of 12 selections.

Two came on Wednesday in the U.S. Priority Draft, and the rest during Thursday’s WHL Prospects Draft (formerly the Bantam Draft). The latter also saw a Lacombe native go first overall to Prince Albert, which we’ll have more coverage on soon.

READ MORE: Rebels eager for draft as latest crop of players have many unknowns

In the American draft, the Rebels selected 18th and then 40th overall.

The Rebels first took forward Cooper Soller from Los Angeles, California.

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Soller, 14, racked up 76 points in 55 games this season with Shattuck St. Mary’s 14U AAA.

With 40th overall in round two, the Rebels selected forward Kue-Gene Park from Meridian, Idaho.

Park, who also goes by Ethan, is 15, and collected 45 points in 43 games in 2022-23 with Los Angeles Jr. Kings 14U AAA.

Soller and Park were teammates with Los Angeles Jr. Kings 13U AAA in 2021-22 and played on the same line with Park collecting 58 points and Soller with 57.

Interestingly, Park was born in Red Deer.

In the Prospects Draft, again picking 18th overall, Red Deer started by taking Beckett Hamilton, 15, who tallied 83 points in just 29 games with the Humboldt Broncos U15 AA. He added 33 points in nine playoff games.

Per the Rebels, the Humboldt native is the great-nephew of Kelowna Rockets Owner, President, and General Manager Bruce Hamilton. His father Lee Hamilton played in the WHL for Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Kelowna from 1993-97.

Elsewhere in the first round:

1st: Daxon Rudolph, Lacombe, AB – Prince Albert Raiders
16th: Aaron Sawatzky, Didsbury, AB – Moose Jaw Warriors

The Rebels went on to take the following players:

2/40 Missura, Jake D Saskatoon Bandits U15 AA Saskatoon, SK

4/75 Kovich, Nickolas LW Delta Hockey Academy U15 Prep Green Richmond, BC

5/100 Shore, Peyton G Rink H.A. Winnipeg U15 Prep Winnipeg, MB

5/106 Kramer, Millar D Battlefords North West Stars U15 AA Battleford, SK

7/150 Milford, Noah Okotoks Oilers U15 AAA Okotoks, AB

8/172 Pierson, Kade RW Okotoks Oilers U15 AAA Chestermere, AB

9/194 Yellowaga, Nate D Edge School U15 Prep Calgary, AB

10/216 Schmidt, Nolan C OHA Edmonton U15 Prep Edmonton, AB

11/238 Astill, Saul D Northern Alberta Xtreme U15 Prep Edmonton, AB