Cochrane’s Owen Grassick's dream came true after being selected by the Moose Jaw Warriors in yesterday’s WHL Prospects Draft.
The 6-foot-1, 155-pound forward was taken 80th overall in the fourth round of the draft, which began with the first round on May 7.
He was having lunch in his sister's car at school when he refreshed his phone to discover his selection. He got a call a bit later from a Warriors' scout.
“Just pure excitement,” said Grassick. “I’ve wanted to go to Moose Jaw for so many years now. When I found my name beside their logo, I was just ecstatic.”
The selection moves the 15-year-old one step closer to cracking the Warriors’ roster—and playing in front of family from the area.
“Most of my family is from just outside Moose Jaw, and I grew up following the team and some of their players pretty closely.”
Grassick is coming off a breakout season with the AEHL U15 AAA Airdrie Xtreme, where he recorded 18 goals and 32 assists for 50 points. He also suited up for two games with the U17 AAA Bisons, scoring once.
It marked a turning point for Grassick after getting his feet wet the previous season with the Xtreme.
“Once I figured out that it was kind of on me to lead the team to success, I think that’s when my game really elevated—that’s when everything started to click and take off.”
While he has strong ties to Saskatchewan, Grassick is a Cochrane product through and through. He first laced up skates at age two and knew immediately that hockey was his sport.
“The first time I put on skates, I loved it, and I just never wanted to stop.”
He played all his minor hockey in Cochrane with the Rockies and the Bow Valley Timberwolves before moving up to the triple-A level.
Grassick was a standout for Team Blue at the Alberta Cup, held April 23–27. He scored three goals in five games and was named Team Blue’s player of the game against Alberta Gold after scoring twice in the third period to seal the win. He was also named a @Gatorade Performer of the Day in the same tournament after opening the scoring on the power play in a 3–2 loss to Team Red.
“It was really fun to meet all the new guys in a short-term competition. We came together really quickly, so that was great.”
He's awaiting details on when he will attend a Warriors camp. In the meantime, he's pushing hard to continue improving his game in hopes of one day wearing a Warriors jersey.
The Warriors were highly active in the draft, selecting 12 players between the 2025 U.S. Priority Draft and the WHL Prospects Draft. Grassick was their eighth pick. Moose Jaw also holds the first overall selection in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft on July 2.
Heading into the 2024–25 campaign, the Warriors were coming off a milestone season in which they captured their first-ever WHL championship in their 40-year history. They advanced to the Memorial Cup semifinals.
This season, however, has told a different story. The team won just 15 games and finished last in the league.