Giants select forward Tyler Benson with first overall pick in WHL bantam draft

CALGARY - The Vancouver Giants have selected Tyler Benson with the first overall pick in the 2013 Western Hockey League bantam draft.

Benson played last season with the Southgate Lions of the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League that captured the Alberta and Western Canadian triple-A championships.

The Edmonton native broke the AMBHL record for the most points in a season with 146 (57 goals, 89 assists) in 33 games played.

"We are very excited to have selected Tyler with the first overall pick. He has proven to be a mature player who doesn't only produce but also makes everyone around him better," Giants vice president and general manager Scott Bonner said on the team's website.

The Regina Pats selected forward Sam Steel from the Sherwood Park Flyers of the AMBHL with the second overall pick. Steel led his hometown Flyers in scoring this season with 104 points (52 goals, 52 assists) in 31 games.

The Prince George Cougars took defenceman Josh Anderson with the third pick. Anderson, a six-foot-one, 202-pound native of Duncan, B.C., recorded 18 goals, 52 points and 80 penalty minutes in 52 games last season with the Cowichan Valley Tier 1 Capitals.

The Brandon Wheat Kings selected right-wing Nolan Patrick of the Winnipeg Hawks with the fourth pick. Patrick led Division 1 of the Winnipeg AAA Bantam Hockey League with 75 points despite playing only nineteen of the team's 30 games this season.

The Moose Jaw Warriors took left-wing Brett Howden with the fifth pick. Howden had 11 goals and 24 points in 30 games With the Eastman Selects of the Manitoba Midget triple-A Hockey League.

Rounding out the top 10, Brandon selected defenceman Kale Clague sixth after acquiring the pick in a trade with Lethbridge. Everett picked right-wing Tyson Jost seventh. Seattle followed by selecting defenceman Dante Fabbro, while Kootenay chose left-wing Jared Legien with the ninth pick. Medicine Hat selected defenceman David Quenneville 10th.