REGINA PATS - JORDAN WEAL - DRAFTED 70th. BY LOS ANGELES KINGS

Regina Pats Jordan Weal and his family were to spend a week together in southern California following the 2010 NHL draft, which was held Friday and Saturday at the Staples Centre. Those plans were amended, however, after the speedy Regina Pats centre was chosen Saturday by the Los Angeles Kings in the third round (70th overall).

The 18-year-old Weal was promptly invited to a five-day Kings prospects' camp, which is to begin Tuesday in Los Angeles. Hence, Weal has had to cram a lot of his vacation into the brief time between the draft and the camp.

"I'll probably modify a few of my days,'' Weal said with a chuckle after being the first of two Pats selected Saturday -- Edmonton Oilers sixth-rounder Brandon Davidson being the other. "My family will probably be enjoying the sun while I'm working hard at the rink.''

He can hardly wait for the hard work to begin, having realized a dream by being selected by an NHL team.

"It's a big relief,'' Weal said. "All the waiting and the (pre-draft) combine and spending the whole year thinking about where you're going to go has come to an end. Now I'm focused on trying to get better for (the Kings' training camp) in September.''

That camp will include one familiar face -- that of defenceman Colten Teubert, whom the Kings selected 13th overall in 2008. Teubert and Weal have been teammates on the Pats for the past two seasons.

There was some speculation that Weal would also be a first-round pick. The 5-foot-9, 162-pounder was 30th in Central Scouting's final rankings of North American-based skaters. He was also 41st, Europeans included, in The Hockey News Draft Preview.

Based upon those projections, it was not unrealistic to think that Weal could have been among the 30 first-round selections after a 35-goal, 102-point season that placed him third in the WHL's scoring race. However, he ended up waiting until No. 70.

"I definitely heard that I'd probably go a little higher, but I went into the draft with no expectations,'' Weal said. "Wherever I went was where I was going to go. I was hoping to go to a good organization and that's what happened. Now I want to make a good first impression.''

Weal was one of only three draft-eligible players to score at least 100 points in the CHL this past season. The other two -- Taylor Hall (Windsor Spitfires) and Tyler Seguin (Plymouth Whalers) -- went first and second overall to the Oilers and Boston Bruins, respectively.

"We were a bit shocked that maybe Jordan stuck around longer than what we were anticipating but, at the end of the day, it's about a good fit,'' Pats general manager Chad Lang said. "I think L.A.'s a good fit for him. They'll give him an opportunity and I think that's equally important as the number you get picked at.

"It's a really exciting opportunity for him. There's no question that he worked really hard to get to where he is and, for his efforts, he has been rewarded.''

The Pats were rewarded handsomely for selecting the North Vancouver product in the fourth round (79th overall) of the WHL's 2007 bantam draft. That pick was made by director of scouting Todd Ripplinger and then-GM Brent Parker.

"Credit needs to go to Brent and Todd for identifying him and giving him the opportunity and putting him in a position to have success,'' Lang said. "I talked to the family and the kid and they were extremely excited. It's a good day for him and it's a great day for this organization.''

Davidson, meanwhile, went 162nd overall to Edmonton. The Taber, Alta., product, a WHL rookie on the Pats' defence at 18 last season, was a year older than most of the 2010 draftees.

"He kind of flew under the radar,'' Lang said. "Credit to him for not only proving that he can play in the WHL, but for being given an opportunity to play at the next level.''

By Rob Vanstone, The Leader-Post

© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post