Shaunavon’s Kole Lind won’t have to travel far from his junior home to his future professional home. The Kelowna Rockets forward was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League Draft with the second pick in the second round, 33rd overall, Saturday morning.
Lind finished 15th in Western Hockey League scoring with 87 points in 70 games. He was tied for 14th with 57 assists and reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time. He was also 11th in the league with a plus-36 rating in his second full WHL season.
Lind broke into the WHL during the 2014-15 season with one assist in six games before adding three assists in seven playoff games. He broke out the following season for 41 points in 70 games as a 17-year-old rookie and then climbed the draft rankings steadily this past season with an impressive offensive season. He added six goals and six assists in 17 playoff games and has already appeared in 40 playoff games with the Rockets.
Lind played his Bantam hockey in Swift Current before suiting up for the Saskatoon Contacts in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League.
