Five Burnaby Winter Club Bruins were snapped up with the top-23 picks in the Western Hockey League draft.
As expected, Bruins' centre Mathew Barzal was taken first overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the annual major junior draft of available 15 year olds.
"(Seattle) gave me a call after selecting me and they just wanted to touch base. - Certainly I'm keeping my options open right now, but I can see myself someday in the future wearing a Seattle uniform," Barzal told the Coquitlam NOW.
Adam Musil, a 6-0 centre with the defending Western Canadian champion winter club, went sixth overall to the Red Deer Rebels.
Burnaby-born Ty Ronning got his predraft wish when he was selected by the hometown Vancouver Giants with the 15th pick.
The son of former NHL star Cliff Ronning got little sleep the night before the draft and was elated to learn he would be sticking close to home.
"It was crazy. I'm very excited, very happy," said the younger Ronning. "It was the best feeling I can ever know - happy, excited, blessed. It was very special. It was a dream come true. But it won't stop here. I got to keep working."
Winter club defenceman Ty Schultz of New Westminster went with the following pick - taken 16th overall by the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Goalie Nick McBride was grabbed by Prince Albert with the first pick of the second round, while BWC blueliner Domenic Masellis of Burnaby was a third-round pick by Swift Current.
Having five winter club players taken in the top 51 shows the depth of the Bruins' team and its coaching, said Ty.
"Oh yeah, we had (John Batchelor) the best coach of all time. He develops kids in a great way," Ty added.
Burnaby Minor bantam centre Marcus Vela was a seventh-round pick of the Spokane Chiefs.
