For Wolverines draft pick Ethan Penner, Sunday, June 12 is a day he certainly won’t forget.
Selected 41st overall in the 4th round of the 2019 MJHL Draft by the Waywayseecappo Wolverines, Penner was the first goaltender selected.
And while most draft-eligible players were glued to their phones that morning, Penner shared where he was and what he was doing when the pick was made.
“I was sleeping while it happened, my dad came and woke me up and told me I was drafted by the Wolverines,” Penner said over the phone. “I was so excited to be recognized by a team and then knowing how good of an organization the Wolverines have, it was even better.”
“Knowing that I was the first goalie taken in this years MJHL Draft was really exciting. I wish I was awake when it happened, it probably would have made it a little bit cooler, but it is still really awesome.”
In 19 starts for the Bantam AAA Eastman Selects last season, the young goaltender posted a record of 14-2-2, while recording an impressive 1.62 goals-against average and .934 save percentage.
Not only did the Mitchell, Manitoba native have personal success on the ice, he and his Selects teammates also captured the AAA Bantam Provincial Championship over the Winnipeg Monarchs in a best-of-three series.
Penner also shared how he likes to play in the net and which professional goaltender he likes to compare his style of play with.
“I’m more of a stand-up goalie, I like to try and rattle the other team and get in their heads. I would say that I play like Marc Andre Fleury a bit,” Penner concluded.