The Red Deer Rebels will be busy setting themselves up for the future this week.
Wednesday, the Rebels have the 14th and 31st selections in the 2022 U.S. Prospects Draft.
At the 2021 WHL U.S. Priority Draft on Dec. 8, the Rebels selected defenceman and California native Quentin Bourne with the eighth overall pick.
Bourne signed a WHL Standard Player Agreement with the club during the WHL Playoffs. Bourne is expected to join the Rebels for the 2022-23 WHL season.
The Rebels also selected Texas forward Jonah Jasser 37th overall.
In the inaugural U.S. Prospects draft in the spring of 2021, Red Deer selected Gracyn Sawchyn first overall. Red Deer dealt Sawchyn’s right to the Seattle Thunderbirds in May.
The WHL Prospects Draft is set for Thursday and Red Deer owns the 17th overall selection.
The club also has picks in round two (39th overall), four (83rd), five (105th), six (127th), seven (148th) and eight (191st). The Rebels also have picks in rounds nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.
In the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft held in December, Red Deer selected Ollie Josephson with the fifth overall selection. The Victoria, B.C., native played six games this season and recorded one assist.
Goalie Chase Wutzke, who the Rebels picked in the second round, 40th overall also made his debut for the Rebels in 2021-22.
The Debden, Sask. product played in three games on an emergency basis and picked up a pair of wins while posting a 4.70 goals against average alongside a 0.849 save percentage.
Red Deer also signed defenceman Zane Saab (round two, 47th overall) and forward Evan Smith (round five, 95th overall) from their 2021 draft class.
In 2019, Red Deer picked 16th overall and selected blueliner Kyle Masters.
Red Deer has not picked 17th overall in the past 20 years of the WHL Draft.