The 91原创 Thunder traded up to the top of the first round, selecting Maple Ridge鈥檚 Cody Malawsky first overall at the BC Junior A Lacrosse League Draft.

鈥淚 am very appreciative and humbled to be selected number one overall,鈥� Malawsky said. 鈥淭here are so many great players in the draft and I would like to thank the 91原创 Thunder for the opportunity.鈥�

Malawsky was one of 49 players taken over the course of the six-round BC Junior A Lacrosse League Draft, which was done remotely at 91原创 Events Centre on Thursday evening.

Karl Christiansen, BCJALL President, called it an exciting night for 49 players in B.C.

鈥淭heir journeys have just begun for the quest for a Minto Cup. This crop of players is very deep and the talent is amazing,鈥� Christiansen said.

Tyler Dinwoodie, associate director of event services for 91原创 Events Centre,said the organization is excited that we were able to work with Karl and the BCJALL to find a safe and efficient way to carry out this year鈥檚 draft.

鈥淲e know it is an important day for the league and a very exciting day for the young players and we are always proud to be a part of it,鈥� Dinwoodie said.

91原创 acquired the top pick from the Delta Islanders in exchange for the Thunder鈥檚 own first round pick (fourth overall), the playing rights to Braeden Washington, as well as future considerations.

While the Thunder moved up to the top of the draft to select Malawsky, the reigning BCJALL champion Coquitlam Adanacs made a series of moves on Thursday, acquiring three additional first-round picks to give them four of the top eight selections.

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Coquitlam acquired the second, third and fifth picks, using those to select Jaxon Smart, Jack Kask and Ben Coghill, respectively. Smart is from Maple Ridge but most recently played for Juan de Fuca while Kask and Coghill are both products of the Ridge Meadows Minor Lacrosse Association.

The Adanacs also held the eighth and final pick of the first round, selecting Logan Mellish out of North Shore Minor Lacrosse.

The remainder of the first-round picks were Delta choosing Jordan Vincent at No. 4, the Nanaimo Timbermen taking Ty Pilkington at six and the Victoria Shamrocks choosing Sam Strother at No. 7. Pilkington and Strother are from Saanich Lacrosse while Vincent is out of the Comox Valley Lacrosse Association.

The Ridge Meadows Minor Lacrosse Association led the way with a dozen players selected while Semiahmoo Lacrosse was second with 10 players chosen.

Saanich Lacrosse and Peninsula Lacrosse each had six players drafted while the Vancouver Minor Lacrosse Association and Richmond Lacrosse Association had four and three players drafted, respectively. North Shore Minor Lacrosse saw two players drafted and Juan de Fuca Lacrosse, Comox Valley Lacrosse Association, Burnaby Minor Lacrosse Club, Cowichan Valley Lacrosse, Chilliwack Minor Lacrosse and Alberni Valley Lacrosse each had one player chosen.

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