The Saskatoon Blades made their first player announcement ahead of the 2021-22 W-H-L season, since the end of the 2021 Regina Hub campaign, signing a pair of 2020 Draft picks.
Forwards Jordan Keller and Mikhail Volotovskii have inked Standard W-H-L Education Contracts with the Bridge City Bunch after being selected in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. Keller is from Kamloops and is a product of the Yale Academy while Volotovskii is from Calgary and played Under-18 Triple-A with the Buffaloes. Both will attend training camp and could be 16-year-old rookie regulars with the Blue and Gold. Following is the news release from the Blades…..
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SASKATOON, SK — The Saskatoon Blades are pleased to announce the signing
of 2005-born forwards Jordan Keller and Mikhail Volotovskii to WHL Standard
Player Agreements. Jordan and Mikhail were both selected in the 2020 WHL
Bantam Draft, and are expected to attend their first training camp ahead of the
2021-22 regular season.
Keller, selected in the 3rd round at 48th overall, has spent the last two seasons with
Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford, BC. The product of Kamloops, BC piled up
47 points (20G-27A) in 25 games with Yale’s U15 program as an underage
forward in the 2019-20 campaign. The speedy forward also represented Yale at the
highly prestigious John Reid Bantam Tournament, finishing seventh in tournament
scoring with 5 goals and 5 assists for 10 points in 6 games. A COVID-hindered
2020-21 campaign saw the 5-foot-9, 147-pound winger dress in five games with
Yale’s U18 program and score a pair of goals.
“Jordan is really just scratching the surface of what he’ll become as a player,”
stated Dan Tencer, Director of Scouting. “He is a student of the game and the
incremental growth he’s shown since his underage U15 season has been
significant. He has a very high-end intelligence and great instincts for playmaking
as well as a work ethic on the ice that is truly consistent. He’s on a very exciting
upward trajectory and will be a skilled and versatile player for us.”
Volotovskii was selected in the 4th round (77th overall) and spent the majority of
the 2019-20 campaign with his hometown Calgary Bisons U15 club. The 6-foot,
173-pound centreman finished second in team scoring with 48 points (15G-33A) in
30 games, and also dressed in three games with the U16 Rangers, collecting a goal
and an assist. The Alberta boy made his U18 debut last fall with the Calgary
Buffalos AAA squad, lacing up in five games and scoring a goal and a helper.
“Mikhail is a very intelligent two-way centreman who plays a mature game with
high anticipation, strong positional awareness and determination to be great at the
subtle and habits of team structure,” continued Tencer. “He sees the game well in
tight spaces on the ice and has the accompanying compete level that leads to him making positive plays and contribute in all zones. Off the ice, he’s a great leader by
example and has a strong drive to continually improve his game.”
The Saskatoon Blades organization and coaching staff would like to welcome the
Keller’s and Volotovskii’s to the community, and are excited to bring them to Blade City this fall for training camp.
