One went a little earlier than expected and the other a little later, but that matters little to Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Denton Mateychuk and forward Jagger Firkus.
After the completion of the 2022 National Hockey League Draft on Friday afternoon, both are now members of the National Hockey League.
Matecyhuk was selected in the first round with the 12th overall pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday while Firkus was chosen in the second round, 35th overall by the Seattle Kraken early in the second day of the Draft.
“It’s the next step in my career and I’m really excited to be part of the organization,” Matecyhuk said in his first media availability after hearing his name called. “I know that they have a pretty bright future with Cole Silinger, [Kent] Johnson, [David] Jiricek now and Zach Werenski, I’m really excited about being there.”
Mateychuk has been on NHL scouts’ radar much of his teenage hockey career, going back to his days as one of the highest-scoring defenceman in U15 AAA hockey in Manitoba back in 2018-19.
That didn’t change whatsoever when he joined the Warriors, where Mateychuk quickly showed off his playmaking and decision-making abilities and was almost immediately an elite rearguard in the WHL.
Mateychuk put up two goals and nine points in the Hub as a 16-year-old and won a gold medal with Canada at the World U18 Hockey Championship. This past season saw the Dominion City, Man. product take his game to the next level, as Mateychuk played top-pairing minutes all season and put up 13 goals and 64 points in 65 games.
He was quick to give thanks to his junior coaches when asked about playing in Moose Jaw.
“They’ve had a huge impact on my career,” Mateychuk said matter-of-factly. “I have to give big thanks to [head coach] Mark [O’Leary] and [former head coach] Tim Hunter, they’ve really helped me in my career, getting it going and seeing what type of a player I could be.”
Mateychuk went into the Draft ranked 14th among North American players by NHL Central Scouting.
Firkus was the third player selected on day two of the Draft and touched on expecting to be a first-rounder but dropping a touch.
“Yesterday was yesterday, today was a new day and I woke up this morning and I just wanted to go to a team that wanted me to be there and wanted me to be a part of the organization and I’m happy to be a Kraken,” Firkus said. “It’s a great organization, I know a guy who plays there [Carson Soucy], he’s from my hometown and plays there right now so it’s a pretty cool set-up.”
Firkus turned heads the second he stepped on the ice with the Warriors back in the 2019-20 campaign, where even as a 15-year-old he showed the kind of skill that would make him a bona fide WHL standout two seasons later.
The Irma, Alta. product had six goals and 14 points in 23 games in the East Division Hub in 2021, and then came the Firkus Circus in 2021-22. Not only did Firkus score 36 goals and 80 points in 66 games, he did so with such style that his draft stock rose incredibly quickly, eventually settling at 12th overall among North American skaters.
He joins fourth-overall selection Shane Wright in giving the Kraken a dynamic offensive connection for the foreseeable future.
“It means the world, I’m really proud that the team believes in me and I can’t thank them enough and I’m really excited to be a Kraken,” Firkus said.
Like Mateychuk, he gave plenty of credit to the Warriors for his evolution into an NHL prospect.
“When you look at Moose Jaw, there’s lots of players who come out of there that are really good players and especially yesterday, you look at Denton Mateychuk, who I’m really happy for he deserves it,” he said. “It’s a great organization, they push us, they make us become men and I love it there.”
Mateychuk and Firkus are the highest draft selections for the Warriors since 2010, when Dylan McIlrath and Quinton Howden were both first-round selections.
