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SRE Sports: Walker Côté drafted by the WHL's Spokane Chiefs
Kevin Laliberte
for Smoky River Express
A local hockey standout who played his minor hockey in the Smoky River region was drafted 192nd overall by the Spokane Chiefs at the WHL (Western Hockey League) Bantam Draft, held May 2 in Calgary.
Walker Côté, the son of Darren and Lise Côté of Falher, was selected in the ninth round of the WHL major junior hockey league draft.
The 15-year-old defenceman, who laced up his skates for the Okanagan Hockey Academy as an assistant captain with the bantam triple-A team this past year, says he was pleased to be drafted by Spokane.
"I was both excited and proud to be drafted by the Chiefs," Côté tells the Express.
The talented young 5' 11" defenceman currently weights in at 165 pounds and has aspirations to play for Spokane within the next couple of years.
"I'd like to play in the WHL when I'm 17," says Côté, who also has his sights set firmly on obtaining a scholarship to a Canadian university in the future.
He says he's familiar with the WHL style of play and knows what he will need to bring to the ice as a player for the Chiefs if given the opportunity.
"To be successful in the WHL, I'm going to have be an offensive-minded d-man who is reliable with the puck under pressure," says Côté, who feels his biggest assets are speed and skating ability.
The Chiefs website had this to say about the budding defencememan.
“Walker is a good skater who has confidence in his mobility. He makes a good first pass out of the zone, doesn’t panic under pressure and is a very effective player.”
Côté says being drafted by Spokane ranks among his top three highlights to date.
The other two include playing in the Okanagan Hockey Academy and winning gold with Team Alberta North at the 2012 Arctic Winter Games.
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