Oilers’ draft defenceman from Ochapowace Cree Nation

Ethan Bear knows he will be riding the busses again this coming season in the Western Hockey League with the Washington-based Seattle Thunderbirds.

But the 18-year-old, who is from Saskatchewan’s Ochapowace Cree Nation, is hoping that soon after that he’ll be ready to suit up in the National Hockey League with the Edmonton Oilers.

Edmonton selected Bear in the fifth round, 124th over-all, at the NHL Entry Draft, which was held in Sunrise, Fla., from June 26-27.

For Bear, and many other draft-eligible players, the proceedings brought to an end the lengthy season-long wait of wondering which NHL team would acquire their playing rights.

“I had talked to quite a few teams,” said Bear, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound defenceman, who spent the past two seasons with the Thunderbirds. “I knew Edmonton was interested and I’m fine with where I ended up.”

Though he has been drafted, Bear recognizes he has plenty of work ahead of him if he is to one day suit up for the Oilers. He still has two seasons of junior eligibility remaining. 

“I know I’ll be back in Seattle as I have to improve in certain areas,” he said. “I know I have to work on my agility and my lateral movement. I’m doing a lot of footwork now with my trainer. And when I’m on the ice I am working on my lateral movement.”

Bear has returned to the Ochapowace Cree Nation for the off-season. Besides training in his own community, he also makes frequent trips to Regina, about a 60-minute drive away, to work out and skate with several other WHL, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and midget-aged players.

Bear’s summer also included a week-long trip to Edmonton in early July where he participated in the Oilers’ development camp. A total of 31 players, including draftees not only from 2015 but previous years as well, took part in the event.

For Bear, the camp marked the first time he met Oilers’ highly-touted prospect Connor McDavid, the first pick over-all in this year’s draft.

“We talked a lot, whenever I saw him in the dressing room or at the hotel,” Bear said of McDavid.

Bear added there was nothing unusual about their first encounter. He said they introduced themselves and mentioned where they had played their junior hockey.

McDavid, who will step right into the Oilers’ lineup this coming season, is being projected as a shoo-in to become an NHL superstar.

“He’s going to be a really good player,” Bear said. “I’m very excited about the possibility of playing on the same team as him.”

McDavid and Bear were originally scheduled to be on the same squad during an intra-squad match that was held in conjunction with the Oilers’ development camp.

“We were supposed to be on the same team but before the game I was traded to the other team,” Bear said. “So I played against him.”

Bear and McDavid will be briefly reunited next month in Edmonton as both will attend the Oilers’ main training camp.

Bear is scheduled to report to the Thunderbirds’ training camp on Aug. 22. He anticipates he’ll be in Seattle for about 10 days before heading to the Oilers’ camp in early September.

Then, at some point during the Edmonton camp, the club’s brass will do the expected and reassign him to the Thunderbirds for some more grooming.

Photo Caption: Ethan Bear on NHL Entry Draft day: chosen in the fifth round by the Edmonton Oilers.