If bigger is better, the New Westminster Salmonbellies used last week’s junior draft to get closer to where they want to be.
The Bellies used two early picks to add two huge righthanded talents, scooping up defender Michael Messenger of Coquitlam and power forward James Rahe, formerly of Langley.
Taken second overall, Messenger, 6-foot-2, and No. 4 overall Rahe, 6-foot-5, add to the club’s talent level as it sets its sights on a Mann Cup run, said general manager and president Dan Richardson.
Going first overall to the Burnaby Lakers was New West native Josh Byrne – who the Bellies admittedly coveted. But when the dust settled, Richardson said he was very pleased with the 2016 draft haul, completed Feb. 10 in Vancouver.
“Quite honestly we had Mike Messenger atop our draft board. He’s a big body, can play on both ends, faceoffs where we need help, and we just like what he brings to both ends.”
Rahe, who won a Minto Cup title last year with Six Nations, is projected to be a gamebreaker who addresses a need on the rightside.
“I can’t say enough good things about the kid. (Rahe’s) 6-foot-5, righthanded – he played a tonne of games last year before he went back east and did very well in the Minto Cup,” said Richardson. “We just like his size and athletic ability. He’s going to fit well on our rightside offensively.”
Both players have championship pedigrees, with Messenger named the MVP in Limestone College’s 2015 NCAA Div. II second straight national title win.
Although considered a defensive shutdown-type of player, Messenger racked up 39 goals and 55 assists over 64 games, along with 239 penalty minutes.
In four-plus years, Rahe netted 118 goals over 78 games, mostly with Langley. Last year he tallied 11 goals and 31 assists in 13 games with Six Nations.
New West acquired the second pick overall in a swap with Coquitlam at the conclusion of the regular season. Richardson added the fourth overall selection from Maple Ridge a month ago in exchange for Luke Gillespie and their 2017 first round pick.
With the 13th selection New West grabbed one-time junior Bellie Dane Sorenson, a Victoria native who starred the past four springs as an attacker with Florida Southern University.
“(Sorenson) is going to be a real good fit for us. He helps us offensively and you can never have enough offensive talent in our league,” added Richardson.
He also played for Nanaimo and Victoria, cashing in offensively with 72 goals in 56 B.C. junior A games.
The next step will be securing commitments for the 2016 season, said the GM.
“We’re comfortable that we can sell them on the Salmonbellies and what we bring to the table. We’ve got a good club and now we feel we have a better club,” said Richardson.
New West also drafted Tyler Kirkby of Burnaby, Chris Nasato of New West, Derek Rouse of Langley, and junior B Salmonbellies’ Thomas Kearns, Navi Mahal, Shawn Couzelis and Nico Ballarin.
