Anthony Wilson left home during his Peewee hockey days to search out the best opportunities to enhance his hockey career. After immersing himself in hockey academy life, his journey will now take him to the island after he was drafted by the Victoria Royals in the 2020 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.
“I was in a state of shock,” said Wilson. “I was super thrilled. I am honoured to get drafted by such a great organization, so I was pretty pumped.”
The 5’8’’, 166-pound forward was selected in the third round, 59th overall.
“I just woke up and I put it on the TV and sat and waited for my name. The nerves kind of got to me, but I just took a few breaths and eventually my name came up. It was a pretty awesome feeling.”
Wilson finished the season fifth in scoring on the Northern Alberta Xtreme with nine goals and 18 assists in 29 games.
“I’m just a two-way forward that can put pucks in the net and I’m not afraid to go to the dirty areas,” he explained.
The Xtreme, who play out of Devon, AB, were fourth in the CSSHL Bantam Prep standings with a 19-5-3-3 record.
Wilson had played on the Yale Hockey Academy Bantam Prep team the previous season where he recorded three goals and seven assists in 24 games.
“Yeah it’s obviously a lot of work. You don’t get a lot of days off. You have to push through and good things will come,” he said of his experience in the CSSHL. “Yeah it was a great choice for me to get out there and experience those academies.”
Wilson hopes his experience will eventually lead him to the WHL.
“Obvious I will try and achieve making the Royals and focus on the next few years here, which are really important going into the WHL and trying to make the good first impression at camp.”
Before he attempts to make a WHL roster on the west coast, Wilson will play much closer to home as plans to head to Moose Jaw next season to play in the Saskatchewan Under-18 AAA Hockey League.
“I’d like to work on my play without the puck. Obviously there are a lot of things I can work on in the summer, my strength, agility, and skating,” he explained.
