Looking back at Brett Kulak, who was drafted by the Vancouver Giants in the ninth round.
Welcome to this edition of WHL Draft Day Steals. In this recurring column, we look at some of the best steals in the history of the WHL Draft. This week's steal is Brett Kulak, who was drafted by the Vancouver Giants 197th overall in 2009.
Back in 2009, the Giants took a chance on Kulak, drafting him in the ninth round. Listed at 5'6"and 140 pounds, the defender played for the PAC Timberwolves U15 AAA team in Spruce Grove, Alberta. He would finish his draft year with 21 points in 33 games, leading all defencemen on the roster with 19 assists.
After making his WHL debut during the 2010-11 season, Kulak joined the Giants full-time ahead of the 2011-12 campaign. During his time in Vancouver, he would record 128 points in 216 games and hear his name called by the Calgary Flames in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. To this day, he still sits fourth in all-time goals and points by a defenceman in franchise history.
After spending time with the Flames and Canadiens organizations, Kulak can now be found playing close to home with the Edmonton Oilers. Now listed at 6'1"and 196 pounds, he has played over 400 games at the NHL level and should eclipse the 100-point mark for his career later this season. Not a bad career for a player who had to wait almost 200 spots before hearing his name called in the WHL draft.