Peyton Krebs woke up to some pretty good news on Thursday.
The Rocky Mountain Raiders forward was at home with family when he got the good news from the Kootenay Ice while scrolling down on his computer to find out he would be the first Okotokian selected with the top overall pick in the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.
"I found out on the draft. They wanted it to be a surprise and it was a pretty cool feeling hearing my name called," Krebs said. "I was at home, we had my grandparents come over to enjoy the moment.
"It was honestly a surprise. I had no idea where I was going,"
The dynamic forward has been on the radar of scouts for two seasons as a prolific member of the Raiders. In his freshman season in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League, Krebs finished fourth in league scoring with 66 points while picking up Rookie of the Year honours and helping Rocky Mountain to its first provincial championship.
Year 2 saw him take another step forward as Krebs earned MVP honours while his 102 points in 27 games was tops in the province. The Raiders would go on to win silver as hosts of the Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championships in Okotoks where the hometown captain was a tournament All-Star.
“Our scouting staff has been watching Peyton Krebs compete at a high level for two years. He possesses an element of speed and pace that is unparalleled in his draft class,” said Ice director of scouting Garnet Kazuik in a Kootenay press release. “He is a passionate player whose vision on the ice allows the players around him to be better as well."
Those around Peyton have picked up one standout trait, focus.
His father Greg Krebs said first year of Peewee is when Peyton started to take off and when the family realized just how special a player he could be.
"I've had the opportunity to coach a lot of great hockey players in the Okotoks and Calgary area over the last seven, eight years," Greg said. "His work ethic is the best I've ever coached. As a parent I'm telling him he needs to smile more and have some fun out there because he's so focused.
"That's quite rare for this age."
Krebs is just the third first overall selection in the history of the Kootenay franchise joining Steve McCarthy and Jarret Stoll - both of whom graduated to the professional ranks in the NHL.
The Cranbrook-based Ice has a longstanding rivalry with the Calgary Hitmen and makes a few trips a year to the Saddledome as Eastern Conference foes.
"They've had a good history and it has been a long time since they've had a first-overall pick," Krebs said. "They haven't been out of the playoffs for a while and we're going to have a bright future here.
"I'm excited to get things going."
Pegged as a blue-chip forward since the start of the season, the prospects of the draft could weigh heavily on any hockey player let alone a 15-year-old.
Not this one.
"My dad told me anywhere you go, try to make the most of it," Krebs said. "Even if I did go third or wherever, I would still be happy with that. Going first is pretty cool, but I've got to just work hard and hope to make the team one day."
The Okotoks Junior High School student went into the process with a helping hand.
Older brother Dakota Krebs, who went undrafted but signed on later as a prospect, just completed his first season with the WHL's Tri-City Americans.
"What helped Peyton a lot was seeing his older brother Dakota play in the WHL not getting drafted," Greg said. "He realized it's not where you get picked at the draft it's what you do after. In the end, the coach of the WHL team has to pick you.
"Having Dakota set that example was pretty huge."
Dakota, the steady defenceman, and Peyton, the skilled forward, have pushed one another for years. Peyton would often practice with Dakota's teams despite the two-year gap in age difference and the two trained together extensively on and off the ice last summer.
"It's a really good competition they have," Greg added. "Peyton will tell you that's the reason he had a great year this year and Dakota will be the first to tell you that's why he made the WHL."
Also getting the call in the WHL Bantam Draft was Okotoks native Kirby Proctor. The lanky defenceman went 52nd overall to the Lehtbridge Hurricanes. Proctor suited up for Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy in Kelowna after starring on the blueline for the Raiders in 2014-15.
Raiders forward Tarun Fizer was selected in the fourth round 69th overall by the Victoria Royals. The Chestermere native put up 33 goals as a relentless forward for Rocky Mountain.
For full results from the draft go to whl.ca
