Updated May 3, 2012 - 9:56 am
Thunderbirds take C Mathew Barzal with top pick
The Seattle Thunderbirds selected center Mathew Barzal with the No. 1 pick in the 2012 WHL Bantam draft Thursday.
Barzal, a native of Coquitlam, British Columbia, played with the Burnaby Winter Club Bantam A team last season, scoring 39 goals with 68 assists for 107 points in 35 regular-season games. Barzal is 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds. He is 15 years old and is a right-handed shot.
"We are very excited to add Mathew Barzal to our team today," Thunderbirds general manager Russ Farwell said in a statement. "Mathew has true star potential and will be a very exciting player for our fans to watch develop. He has a style all his own and plays the game at a pace that is truly fun to watch. He has been a dominant player for a number of years and his package of skill and winning attitude will have a tremendous influence on our team from top to bottom."
The Thunderbirds also have the 20th overall pick, which they acquired in the trade that sent Marcel Noebels to the Portland Winterhawks.
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Andrew Eide is the new Thunderbirds reporter for 710Sports.com. He attended his first T-Birds game in 1987 and has been hooked on hockey ever since. He also writes about the Canucks, the WHL and NHL draft prospects for The Hockey Writers.
Tim Pigulski is the new Thunderbirds analyst for 710Sports.com. Following an 11-year amateur hockey career, Tim spent two seasons working in the T-Birds' media relations department. He grew up in Pasco, Wash. and attended the UW.
