With the 14th pick of the third round of the draft, the Titans took Chase Cochrane, a defenceman from Oak Lake. With the first pick of the sixth round, Neepawa selected Virden’s Connor Hoemsen, a forward.
“My mom and I were watching the draft on Rinknet when I found out I was drafted,” said Hoemsen, the son of Erich Hoemsen and Kesha Stewart. “I was immediately happy and excited to be a Titan.”
Neepawa head coach and general manager Ken Pearson was pleased to add the two Westman products to his club. Regarding the son of Darby and Kelly Cochrane, he said, “We like the way he sees the ice, and how he competes. We are really excited to see him round out his game this season and lead by example.”
Pearson also said the team likes how Hoemsen “competes and we see a good two-way player in Connor.”
Chase Cochrane
On Sunday morning, Cochrane was watching the draft online while eating breakfast with his parents.
“When I saw my name pop up on the screen in the third round for Neepawa, it was a great feeling and a moment I will never forget,” he said.
Cochrane’s father competed in the MJHL in the late 1990s/early 00s. He suited up for the Winkler Flyers and Swan Valley Stampeders.
“I am most excited about the opportunity to follow in my dad’s footsteps and play in the MJHL,” Cochrane said. “He has so many great memories, I am excited to now make my own. I am also looking forward to being a part of the Neepawa Titans hockey organization and further developing my hockey skills on and off the ice.”
Last winter Cochrane played for the U18 AAA Yellowhead Chiefs. The 5-foot-7, 150-pound athlete scored two goals and recorded five assists in 40 games.
During the season, Chiefs head coach Thomas Heapy described Cochrane as a “smaller D-man that is not scared of taking on larger opponents.”
Cochrane appreciates how his family has backed his hockey career.
“My family has always been my No. 1 supporters since the first time I put on skates,” he said. “They have believed in me, supported me and allowed me many opportunities to develop as a hockey player. My dad puts an ice rink in our barn every year called the ‘Cattledome.’ I have spent endless hours out there in the winter working on my slapshot.”
Connor Hoemsen
Hoemsen was an important part of the Westman Ice Bandits U17 AAA squad last season in their inaugural campaign. The 5-foot-9, 147-pounder had 13 goals and 27 assists for 40 points in 36 games for the Elkhorn-based squad, which recently was renamed the Canadian Ice Bandits.
“Connor is a big power forward with lots of puck skills,” Bandits head coach Troy Gould said. “He has a good shot with a quick release. He is a threat to score anytime the puck is on his stick around the net. Connor can play in all situations as he was a key component on the power play and penalty kill.”
Hoemsen is excited to attend camp with the Titans.
“I'm looking forward to the experience and the high skill set that the team has showed in the past,” he said.
Hoemsen appreciates his parents backing his passion for hockey.
“Erich Hoemsen and Kesha Stewart are my very supporting parents - driving me to hockey all over the place and dealing with me since I was a little boy,” he said.
Other Selections
As previously announced, the Virden Oil Capitals auto-protected Virden defenceman Hudson Davidson of the U18 AAA Yellowhead Chiefs and Oak Lake Beach forward Tyson Draper, who played for the Ice Bandits.
Some other players also were drafted from local regional teams. In the fourth round of the draft, the Oil Caps added Ice Bandits forward Lyndon Green-Gould of Wawanesa. The Virden team also drafted Boissevain forward Bryan Laing from the U18 AAA Southwest Cougars in the third round.
Fellow Cougar Jack Clark of Wawanesa was selected by the Titans fourth overall in round one. Waywayseecappo’s Bradley Brandon was tabbed by his hometown Wolverines in the sixth round. The forward played last winter for the U18 AAA Chiefs.
