Wenatchee Wild select two players in team’s first WHL U.S. priority draft

WENATCHEE – The Wenatchee Wild are pleased to announce the selection of two players in the 2024 Western Hockey League U.S. Priority Draft, held Wednesday morning. The Wild selected 12^th in each round of the two-round draft, in which 2009-born players were selected from the western half of the United States only. Wednesday’s U.S. Priority Draft was Wenatchee’s first since the club’s relocation from Winnipeg, Manitoba last summer. The Wild will make their first-ever selections in the WHL Prospects Draft beginning Thursday at 9 a.m.

Wenatchee’s selections in Wednesday’s Import Draft included:

ROUND 1, PICK 12 – MARCUS MATYAS (C – Edina, Minn. – Cretin-Derham Hall H.S.)
Marcus enjoyed an impressive freshman season for the Raiders, in his first season of high school hockey in Minnesota. He played in 31 games for Cretin-Derham Hall, posting nine goals and 17 assists in helping Cretin-Derham Hall to a third-place finish in Class AA, the school’s third straight trip to the state tournament. He’s already shown a propensity for coming through in the clutch moments, scoring the overtime winner to send his team to its section final, and assisting on the eventual winner in the section final, carrying a four-game point streak into the state tournament. Three of his nine goals this season were game-winners.

ROUND 2, PICK 34 – GUNNAR CONBOY (C – Lakeville, Minn. – Lakeville North H.S.)
Gunnar enjoyed a strong freshman season of his own for the Panthers, picking up 13 goals and nine assists over 26 games in his first season of varsity hockey. When he landed on the score sheet, the goals came in bunches, with four multi-goal games during the 2023-24 campaign. He nearly willed his team to a win in his final game as a freshman, scoring a hat trick to rally his Lakeville North team back from a 3-0 deficit before seeing Owatonna prevail in double overtime to win a tough section tournament opener.