Sept 26: Bison Recruiting Class
The Bisons have yet to make any announcements and have not yet updated their roster page. So I rely on the roster page accompanying the CW summary on Friday night. Since the players recruited in 2020-21 never played any games, I will repost what was in last year's thread about those guys.
2020-21 recruiting class:
Chase Hartje - D - Moose Jaw/Winnipeg (WHL)
Hartje is another WHL defenceman on the Bison roster, having played in Moose Jaw, Brandon, Kootenay, moving to Winnipeg with the franchise, then back to Moose Jaw. He is originally from Bemidji, Minnesota. At 5'11" and 172 lbs he is smaller than the usual Bison d-man.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects
➤ Our Sports Central: ICE Acquire '99-Born Defenceman Chase Hartje from the Wheat Kings
Hayden Ostir - C/RW - Swift Current (WHL)
Ostir is a Winnipeg boy coming home after making the rounds in the WHL, covering Spokane, Medicine Hat, and Swift Current over the last four years. His numbers in 2019-20 were 10-14-24. He is also 6'1" and 194 lbs. He also got a gold medal in the U-17s.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects
➤ SC Broncos: Graduation: Hayden Ostir
➤ Our Sports Central: Broncos Sign Hayden Ostir to SPA
➤ YouTube: Feb 2nd/17
Liam Hughes - G - Winnipeg Ice (WHL)
But for one game in the AJHL, Hughes has played in the WHL for the last four years. After stops in Edmonton, Seattle, and Lethbridge, he backstopped the Winnipeg Ice in 2019-20. He had a 2.53 GAA, and a .914 S%.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects
➤ Lethbridge: Hughes Leaves Team
➤ WHL: ICE add Liam Hughes & Ty Ettinger to roster
Noah Basarab - F - Johnstown (NAHL)
Basarab is a Gimli boy who went south after having played for Swan Valley and Selkirk in the MJHL. His stats were 16-12-28 in 2019-20.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects
➤ Johnstown Tomahawks: Noah Basarab Named NAHL Bauer Division Star of the Week
➤ Daily American: Athlete of the Week
➤ Tribune-Democrat: Tomahawks trio clicks in win over Black Bears
Reece Harsch - D - Winnipeg Ice (WHL)
Having a WHL team in town is paying some recruiting dividends this year, as the Bisons land another d-man in Harsch. He is 6'4" and 201 lbs and wore an "A" in 2019-20.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects
➤ Winnipeg Ice: Winnipeg ICE acquire 2019 second overall pick and Reece Harsch in multi-team trade
➤ YouTube: Feb 25/18 : Sept 19/17
Sam Stewart - D - Tri-City/Edmonton (WHL)
Stewart is another big d-man (6' 190 lbs) from Manitoba coming home for university. He finished 2019-20 with the Edmonton Oil Kings after four years with the Tri-City Americans, with a couple of stints with the Neepawa Natives in the MJHL.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects
➤ WHL: MJHL-WHL Prospect Watch - Sam Stewart, Neepawa Natives
Linden McCorrister - LW - Brandon (WHL)/Regina (CW)
The Bisons needed better forwards in 2019-20 and here's one. He's 6'1" and 190 lbs. As a teen, he played on Team Manitoba in aboriginal hockey. In four seasons with the Wheat Kings he ended as an assistant captain for two seasons. Articles describe a strong 2-way player, but he has decent offensive numbers in the WHL. In 2017-18 he played 59 games and was 20-23-43, plus 5-9-14 in 11 playoff games. In 2018-19 he played 45 games and was 14-15-29. For some reason, the Peguis native went to Regina to play for the Banjo-Cats in 2019-20, where he only played 4 games and had one assist. So I guess 2020-21 was his redshirt season.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects : Hockey DB
➤ Wheat Kings: McCORRISTER LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION
One other player, Alec Malo, was recruited via the Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL) and Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL). He is not on this year's roster.
2021-22 recruiting class:
Michael King - C - Spokane (WHL)/Steinbach (MJHL)
I posted about him on June 28th (above) when he was the only new Bison listed on Elite Prospects and 49-sport.com.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects : Hockey DB
➤ Spokane Chiefs: Chiefs Acquire Forward Michael King from Kootenay
➤ Spokane Chiefs: Meet the Chiefs: #19 Michael King
➤ Spokane Chiefs: Michael King and James Porter Released
➤ Steinbach Pistons: King Commits to University of Manitoba
➤ Hockey Fights: Michael King vs Kaden Kohle Dec 31, 2019 : YT
Brett Davis - RW - Manitoba Moose (AHL)
Davis is a 6'1" winger from Oak Bank, Manitoba. He played just 5 games last year with the Manitoba Moose on an ATO, after having a productive career with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Kootenay Ice, and Red Deer Rebels of the WHL. He wore the "A" in both Kootenay and Red Deer. In his final junior season (2019-20) he was a combined 25-24-49 in 57 games. He had been drafted by the Dallas Stars in the 6th round of the 2017 entry draft. His uncle Kelly Davis once playd for the Cincinnati Stingers in the WHA.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects : NHL.com
➤ Media: Hockey Reference : Hockey Fights
➤ Game On: Local Product Brett Davis Rewarded With Amateur Tryout From Moose
Duncan Pierce - RW - Regina/Brandon (WHL)
Pierce is a 6'1" Winnipeg boy coming home. He never played last year. He had two full seasons in the WHL, preceded by two seasons split between the WHL and MJHL and one split between the WHL and Midget AAA. There are lots of fight videos in the links. In his last season of junior his stats were 8-14-22 in 58 games. It seems from the press clippings that his hard-nosed style was viewed quite favourably.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects
➤ Media: HockeyFights : YouTube
➤ Our Sports Central: Pats Acquire Caiden Daley from Brandon for Duncan Pierce
➤ Leader-Post: Regina Pats' Duncan Pierce finding his niche
➤ Leader-Post: Pats prospect Duncan Pierce in the right place at the right time
Garrett Sambrook - D - Virden Oil Capitals (MJHL)
Samrook is a 6'0" defenceman from Medora, Manitoba. He broke into the WHL with the Brandon Wheat Kings as a 16 year-old in 2016-17. He then split 2017-18 between Brandon and Virden, and 2018-19 between the Swift Current Broncos and Virden. He spent 2019-20 in Swift Current before coming home last year for the abbreviated season. Earlier in his junior days he had health issues, later diagnosed as epilepsy.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects
➤ Empire-Advance: Oil Caps, Leslie play big roles in Sambrook’s career
➤ Oilcaps: Sambrook joins Oil Caps
➤ YouTube: Manitoba Sports Network (interview)
➤ YouTube: Virden Oil Capitals (interview)
Tyler Anderson - D - St. Cloud State (NCAA)
So I did a search of this name and found a long list of players born in the late '90s and early 2000s. I narrowed the list to two possible players.
Tyler Anderson #1 is a 6'2" 24 year old defenceman from Winnipeg. He played Junior A for the Steinbach Pistons, followed by 4 years at St. Cloud State (NCAA), one of which he played no games.
Tyler Anderson #2 is a 6'4" 25 year old defenceman from Niverville. His junior was split between the SJHL and BCHL, followed by three seasons with Lake Superior State (NCAA). He did not play last year.
I searched the various articles and Tyler #1 is the correct one. He wanted to attend med school this year, but did not get in.
Links:
➤ Career Stats for #1: Elite Prospects
➤ Career Stats for #2: Elite Prospects
➤ Centre Ice View: Former Husky Tyler Anderson Now a Manitoba Bison
➤ SCSU: Player Page
➤ SC Times: Winnipeg defenseman plans to join SCSU this fall
Cody Behun - F - Steinbach (MJHL)
Behun is a Winnipeg native who split his junior career between the Winnipeg Blues and Steinbach Pistons. He played just 8 games last year, and racked up 10 points.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects
➤ Game On: Pistons, Blues Make Monster 10-Player Trade
Brett Murphy - G - Dryden Ice Dogs (SIJHL)
Murphy is a Winnipegger who came up through the AAA ranks, played one season for thye Fort Garry/Fort Rouge Twins in the MMJHL (.930 S%, 2.56 GAA) before heading east to play Junior A in Dryden. He only got two games last year. He is listed as a "returning player" in Dryden.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects
➤ CKDR: Ice Dogs July Preview: Returning Players
Andre Sutter - F - Ramperswil (U20-Top) & EHC Seewen (MSL))
This is not an Alberta Sutter. This one has roots in BC and Switzerland. He last played in Canada in 2017-18 in the Junior B VIJHL. I do not know where the Swiss leagues fit into hockey's scheme of things. Last year he had 16 points in 10 junior games and no points in 4 senior games.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects
➤ NCSA: Andre Sutter - ‘18 Recruiting Profile
➤ YouTube: Andre Sutter Highlight Video 2018-19
Austin DeBoer - G - Selkirk Fishermen (CRJHL)
My guess is that DeBoer is trying to become the 3rd string goaltender. He played just one game last year for the Junior B Fishermen, and recorded a shutout. He had previously played for the Junior A Selkirk Steelers.
Links:
➤ Career Stats: Elite Prospects : CRJHL
Here is the Bison Training Camp Roster, which includes the highest level league in which he has played: