The drafting of local athletes isn’t just a thing for the minor hockey players into the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League or the Western Hockey League.
The Saskatchewan Swat junior A box lacrosse team drafted Estevan’s Kaden Chrest second overall in their draft of Saskatchewan players last week.
“They started this year with the bantam age and they’re hoping that they draft so many that they’re on their radar,” said Kaden’s father Blaine Chrest.
“They’ll bring the top 10 kids over the winter, and work with the junior A kids that they have in their program. It’s a developmental thing, is what they’re trying to do.”
This way, Blaine Chrest said they’ll have a kind of succession to their junior A team.
They couldn’t have found a better scorer locally than Chrest. He led the way at provincials with the bantam KPCL Voltz in scoring 16 goals and five assists in five games in earning a B-side gold medal. The team was 11-0-2 during the South Sask Lacrosse League regular season.
Kaden Chrest’s shot and speed are two deadly weapons to have in indoor lacrosse.
“(They like) his ability to work in tight spaces and use that shot in the tight space,” said Blaine Chrest. “They do play a little bit differently than we do because they have offence and defence. I’m kind of unsure how they would use him, as a transition player or a defensive player because he can do both. It’ll be interesting to see.”
Kaden Chrest is also accomplished at hockey but his love of lacrosse came when watching his older brother play from a young age.
“He liked the game and tried it and ever since he was five he’s played it,” Blaine Chrest said.
As he gets older, it’s Kaden’s goal to play lacrosse at a high level, with his eyes opening up this year by playing on a bantam A team in Regina as well as the Voltz.
“There’s a lot of opportunities for Canadian Box lacrosse players in terms of scholarships,” Blaine Chrest said. “You look at Tienna Sieben, she’s going south this winter for a scholarship…
“It’s one of his goals, he wants to play lacrosse in school.”
Blaine says that Kaden watches the National Lacrosse League and the outdoor Field lacrosse version of the game, which is what players need to learn in order to get their scholarships.
“According to the people we met this winter, they like box lacrosse players for field lacrosse,” Blaine Chrest said. “They’re able to work in tight spaces and operate that way.”
