Nighthawks protect Walker before MJHL draft

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This article was published 02/06/2023 (703 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Niverville Nighthawks have jumped at the chance to auto-protect a local player from the 2023 Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) draft.

Cassius Walker was the lone protection from either the Nighthawks or Steinbach Pistons. It was the first ever auto-protect selection from the Nighthawks, head coach and general manager Kelvin Cech didn’t protect any players last season for their first-ever draft.

Walker is a 2007-born forward who played minor hockey with the Niverville Clippers. Last season he played for the U17 AAA Eastman Selects team, picking up 21 points in 31 games.

“We’re really excited to add Cassius to our group,” Cech said.

“(He has) quick feet and hands and has good offensive instincts.”

By declining to auto-protect any players, the Steinbach Pistons receive an extra seventh round and eighth round pick in the upcoming MJHL draft. The Nighthawks will get an extra eighth round pick.

The OCN Blizzard were the only other MJHL team to auto-protect a single player, with Portage, Waywayseecappo and Winkler also choosing not to protect any players. Every other franchise in the league auto-protected two players.

The MJHL draft is set to take place Sunday, June 4, beginning at 9 a.m. Players who were born in 2007 (16-years-old) are eligible to be selected. Fans can follow the draft live at mjhldraft.rinknet.com.