It was a dream come true for Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Jett Woo on Saturday morning in Dallas, Texas.

After waiting through the first round on Friday night, Woo didn't have to wait long in the second round as he was 37th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2018 NHL Draft.

"It's amazing," said Woo moments after being selected. "Coming here I didn't really know what was in store, so to hear my name called and to share this moment with my family and friends is something really exciting for me."

Woo is just the second player of Chinese descent to be drafted into the NHL. He had nine goals and 25 points in 44 games this past season with the Warriors.

Woo credited Warriors head coach Tim Hunter, who played for the Canucks, for helping him get ready for this moment in his career.

"Coming in when I was 15 years old, new to the league and just learning the ropes, him being through what he's been through and having all that experience is something that was pretty crucial for me in my early years," said Woo.

The Winnipeg product is the second defenceman taken by the Canucks in their first two picks during the draft, joining Quintin Hughes. He said he's looking forward to bringing his hard nosed style to the Canucks.

"The biggest thing about my game is playing strong defence and making sure that side of the puck is being taken care of," said Woo. "One thing people are going to notice is my compete level and how much I like to compete and play hard."

Justin Almeida's stellar season was rewarded on Saturday as he was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the 129th overall pick in the fifth round.

Almeida broke out with 43 goals and 98 points in 72 games this season for the Warriors, which caught the eye of NHL scouts.

The Warriors have had a player selected in the NHL Draft in 30 of 34 years in Moose Jaw.

Another player with Moose Jaw connections went right before Almeida in the fifth round as the Montreal Canadiens selected Prince Albert Raiders forward Cole Fonstad, who played midget AAA hockey with the Moose Jaw Generals.

In total 20 WHL players were taken over the seven rounds of the draft.

One surprise was former Warriors forward Luka Burzan, who was dealt to Brandon at the WHL Trade Deadline, being passed over during the draft after being ranked 91st among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.