Hurricanes Make First Four Picks At 2010 WHL Draft

EDMONTON - Lethbridge Hurricanes Assistant General Manager Brad Robson has announced that the hockey club has selected centre Craig Leverton with the 3^rd pick (25^th overall), D-man Macoy Erkamps with the 5^th pick (27^th overall) and defenseman Joel Topping with the 19^th pick (41^st overall) in the second round of the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft.

Leverton is a 5'10, 170 pound power forward from Warman, SK who tallied and impressive 47 goals, 43 assists for 90 points and 140 PIMs in just 22 games with Warman of the Centre Four Hockey League. "Craig is a big, strong, gritty power forward, think along the lines of a Brendan Morrow," said Robson. "He uses his strength and size to get to the net and score big goals. When you need that big goal he is the type of player who you want with the puck on his stick because he will get it to the net."

Erkamps is a 5'10, 175 pound right handed defenseman from Ladner, BC who was a standout for the South Delta AAA Bantams with 10 goals, 26 assists and 54 PIMs in 63 games. Topping is a 6'1, 175 pound offensive D-man from Red Deer, AB who scored 47 points (15 goals, 32 assists) and 90 PIMs in 33 games with the Red Deer Rebels (Black) of the AMBHL. Topping already has ties to the WHL as his older brother Mitch is currently on the roster of the Chilliwack Bruins.

"With Macoy you have a nice big, strong two way defenseman who isn't afraid to jump up into the play," said Robson. "He should compliment Joel very well as Joel is another very steady two way defenseman who is strong in his own zone and can also create a lot of offence by jumping into the play and joining the rush."

The Lethbridge Hurricanes, as the result of deals made this season held their own selections, 3^rd in the first and second round, as well as Regina's second round selection (5^th in the second round ( 27^th overall) and Tri City's second round selection (19^th in the second round 41^st overall) giving Lethbridge a total of four selections in the top 41 picks.

The Hurricanes day started with the selection of Johnathan Merkley from the Calgary Bisons of the AMBHL with their first selection, 3^rd overall in the first round of the 2010 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.

Merkley is a 5'10, 160 pound center who tallied 30 goals and 41 assists for 71 points and 32 PIMs in 33 games for the Bisons, good enough for fifth in scoring Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League in 09-10. Merkley was integral in the Bisons capturing of the 2010 Provincial and League Championships, while collecting individual accolades as the winner of the AMBHL South Division Scoring title, South Division Forward Award and the South Division Most Valuable Player Award. He then followed that up with an impressive weekend at the Alberta Cup in leading all forwards in scoring.