ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Nine players from Newfoundland and Labrador, including six from the province’s major midget loop, were drafted by Maritime Hockey League teams over the weekend.
The 12-team Maritime junior A league draft process saw players selected over 10 rounds, meaning a total of 120 picks were made in the online draft.
The 2019 MHL draft saw eight players from this province selected. Fourteen players from this province were drafted in 2018.
Three players from the Tri-Pen Osprey were drafted Saturday, including Corey Parsons, a 6-5 defenceman who was the top Newfoundlander, going in the third round, 33rd overall, to the Campbellton, N.B., Tigers.
Parsons, from Bareneed, had eight goals and 26 points to go with 54 penalty minutes in 30 games last season.
Dawson Crane (Bay Roberts) of Tri-Pen went in the fifth round, 52nd overall, to the South Shore, N.S. Lumberjacks, while Kobe Burt (Grand Falls/Windsor) of the Central Impact went three picks later, 55th overall, to the Fredericton, N.B, Red Wings.
Christian Reardon (Bryant’s Cove) of Tri-Pen was the next Newfoundland and Labrador selection, in the sixth round and 68th overall to the Amherst, N.S., Ramblers.
Major midget league scoring champ (19-29-48 in 30 games) Tanner Humber-Dredge (St. John’s) of the Pinnacle Growlers was picked in the eighth round, 89th overall, by the Truro, N.S., Bearcats. However, Humber-Dredge signed with the Estevan Bruins of the Saskatchewan junior A circuit days before the MHL draft.
A huge congratulatory shoutout to @StMattsTigers alumni Tanner Humber-Dredge! Good luck with your new journey! https://t.co/UTk0p2rMwR
— Steve J Spratt (@DrTechSpratt) June 12, 2020
Humber-Dredge was taken 12 selections ahead of another Truro pick, Bradley Blake (Gander Bay), who played with New Brunswick’s Rothesay Netherwood School U18 squad last season.
Nathan Casey (Grand Falls/Windsor) also went in the ninth round, 103rd overall, to Fredericton. Casey played at Mount Saint Charles Academy prep school in Rhode Island last season.
He is the son of Brian Casey, the newly-named Fredericton coach. Brian Casey played two years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before enjoying one year with the Canadian national team and 10 years playing pro overseas in Denmark, Austria and Slovakia.
Before taking the Fredericton head coaching job, he served as an assistant at St. Francis Xavier University for two years under St. John’s native Brad Peddle.
Two goalies – Cruz Loughlin (Torbay) and Dekon Randell-Snow (St. John’s) – were drafted back-to-back in the 10th round, Loughlin going 109th overall and Randell-Snow 110th. Loughlin played for the major midget East Coast Blizzard last season, and Randell-Snow attended prep school at the Ontario Hockey Academy in Cornwall, Ont.
