Huge night for Wheatie linemates

BRANDON -- The Schenn and Glennie Show has thrilled Brandon Wheat Kings fans for two years now.

Tonight in Montreal, Brayden Schenn and Scott Glennie hit prime time before a national audience as the 18-year-old Wheat King linemates are both expected to be selected in the first round of this year's NHL entry draft (6 p.m., TSN).

"Definitely it's most kids' dream when they play hockey to get drafted into the NHL. I'm looking forward to Friday and I will be excited whatever team I will be a part of," said Schenn, a gritty 6-foot, 201-pound centre from Saskatoon. "I'm not really nervous, just excited to see what's going to happen. And I'm excited for Glennie, my linemate, to see what's going to happen to him, too."

Schenn and Glennie have provided the Wheat Kings with a 1-2 punch since taking the WHL by storm as 16-year-olds in their rookie year in 2007-08, finishing first and fifth, respectively, in team scoring in back-to-back years. NHL scouts have certainly taken notice, with Schenn ranked fourth overall and Glennie seventh among all North American skaters in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's final draft rankings. Factoring in Europeans like Swede Victor Hedman and Schenn is projected to be selected fifth overall -- a pick currently held by the Los Angeles Kings -- with Glennie likely going anywhere from picks 10-20, possibly to the Edmonton Oilers at 10th overall.

"It's really exciting, but at the same time, I think you've got to put it in perspective," said Glennie, a speedy 6-foot-1, 182-pound right-winger from Winnipeg. "You've got to hope that you are going to go as high as you can go, but at the same time I think you want to go to a good organization. I think the draft is going to be a really fun time for myself and I have been looking forward to it for awhile. It's been a lifelong dream, that's for sure."

Schenn has been linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs in trade rumours, with speculation the Leafs may want to pair up Brayden with his 19-year-old brother Luke, a first-year defenceman who was drafted fifth overall by Toronto in 2008. However, with Schenn regarded to be the fifth-best prospect available, the Leafs would likely have to move up in the draft from the seventh pick to make it happen.

"All I've heard is lots of trade rumours out there, lots of trade talk," said Schenn, who is represented by Newport Sports Management Inc., headed by agent Don Meehan. "But you are not going to find out anything until you actually hear your name get called. So right now I am just kind of sitting back and waiting for Friday... (The Leafs) would obviously be a nice scenario, but once again, there's 29 other teams out there."

Like Schenn, Glennie also boasts no preference for what team selects him Friday.

"Going into the NHL is a great feeling for any kid my age and it doesn't matter who I go to," said Glennie, who is represented by agent Kevin Epp of Titan Sports Management. "You grow up watching the NHL and once you are close to hopefully going to get into the NHL, it's almost a surreal feeling... This week is a big week in my life and hopefully it goes well."

Wherever Schenn and Glennie go in the draft, most teams believe they will be getting a blue-chip prospect. Close to 40 NHL scouts attended one WHL game earlier this year where both players put on a show.

"Schenn does have very, very good hands and command of the game, a very bright player," Dave Nonis, the senior vice-president of hockey operations with the Maple Leafs, told the Brandon Sun that night. "And Glennie's skating has really improved for me over the last 18 months. He looks like he has picked up a step and he looks like an opportunistic player ... They are both obviously very good prospects and they're both going to be high picks."

-- Brandon Sun

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 26, 2009 C3