Bryce Horning and Taylor Ritchie of Thompson were two of the 66 players selected in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League bantam draft on June 3.

Horning, a forward, was selected in the fourth round, 38th overall, by the OCN Blizzard, while Ritchie, also a forward, was taken 42nd overall, also in the fourth round and also by the Blizzard, using a pick they had acquired from the Winnipeg Blues.

The pair were among six players selected by the Blizzard, who took Ethan Williams of Winnipeg in the first round, Ethan Constant of Opaskwayak Cree Nation and Brennan Cochrane of Fisher River in the third round, and Dallas Miller of Winnipeg in the fifth round.

It's the second year in a row that two players from Thompson were drafted by the Blizzard, who took Trent Laycock and Myles Bennett in the 2011 draft. In 2010, defenceman Bruce Highway, goaltender Justin Paulic and forward Tanner Hepp, all members of the midget AAA Norman Northstars for the past two season, were drafted by the Blizzard, while three other Thompson players – Drake Bodie, Robert Briem and Tyrel Charlton – were also selected – Bodie and Briem by the Waywayseecappo Wolverines and Charlton by the Portage Terriers.