Next week, the Western Hockey League will conduct its annual bantam draft and we’re looking at the best drafts in Moose Jaw Warriors history from 1994 to 2015.

The fourth best draft in Warriors history, 1997 is under the spotlight and it featured some mid to late round gems.

With their sixth round pick, 94th overall, the Warriors picked Brian Sutherby, a future star on Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship and a first round pick of the Washington Capitals in 2000.

Ben Knopp was the 10th overall pick, and he had a quick scoring touch, scoring 70 goals in two and a half seasons for the Warriors. Second round pick Bobby Chad Mitchell played for four seasons with the Warriors getting 561 penalty minutes, while fellow second rounder Steven Crampton had a couple ofvery good offensive seasons with the Warriors before beginning a lengthy pro career that saw him play in Germany, Denmark and Italy. 

Third round pick Dustin Bru played in 116 games with the Warriors before heading to Brandon and eventually scored 35 goals in 41 games as a 20-year-old with the Batlefords North Stars. He played three years with the University of Regina Cougars. 

Along with Sutherby getting selected by the Warriors in the sixth round, the Warriors also selected Paul Crosty in the same round. He never played for the Warriors but he did have a good enough AJHL career to get a scholarship at Brown University, and followed that wouth a four year pro career spent mostly in the AHL.  

Tenth roun pick Ryan Singer played in the BCHL and followed it up with four years at the NCAA Div III's Wentworth Institutue of technology, where he ended his final season as captain.