By Western Hockey League

With the first overall selection in this morning’s WHL Bantam Draft, the Spokane Chiefs selected defenseman Jared Cowen from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The 6’5", 190-pound defenseman played for the Saskatoon Contacts, the regular season champions of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League, last year. In 41 regular-season games, Cowen tallied four goals, 16 points, and 66 penalty minutes. He was the youngest player on the Contacts and the only 1991-born player on the roster.

"Jared is the complete package," said Chris Moulton, the Chiefs' Director of Player Personnel. "We’re ecstatic to select a player of his caliber, and we’re expecting he will be a big part of the Spokane organization in the future."

Chiefs General Manager Tim Speltz shared similar excitement, stating, "For our scouting staff, Jared separated himself from the rest of the players as the clear first overall pick in this draft. We feel that his combination of size, skill, and character makes him the number one pick."

In evaluating Cowen’s abilities, Moulton added, "He has great size, is a good skater who can make plays and take control of the game. He has excellent offensive instincts and the ability to jump into the play. He makes crisp outlet passes and shoots the puck hard. We consider Jared to be a big-time talent with a ton of upside."

The selection of Cowen marks the first time in franchise history that Spokane has had the first overall pick in the WHL Bantam Draft. Spokane will select second overall behind the expansion Chilliwack Bruins in the subsequent rounds.