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Whalers' Draft Choice Alex Peters: Talent Runs in the Family

Plymouth's second-round pick happy landing with the Whalers.

Terry Bridge of the Listowel (ON) Banner and Southwestern Ontario.ca features Plymouth draft choice Alex Peters:

PLYMOUTH, MI – Within a minute of being drafted by the Plymouth Whalers, Alex Peters’ phone rang.

He was so excited about being picked by the Ontario Hockey League club that he didn’t even get the name of the Whalers representative calling him.

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“I just got a call saying congratulations, we’re excited, then they got back to the draft,” Peters reminisced. “I was so excited I couldn’t even hear who it was.”

Plymouth was intrigued by Peters, a defenceman from the town of Blyth, not necessarily for what he is now as a hockey player, but for what he can become.

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Whalers assistant general manager Brian Sommariva said in his draft year with the triple-A Huron-Perth Minor Midget Lakers, Peters improved significantly as the 2011-12 season progressed.

“I thought we was one of the most improved players this year that we’d seen,” Sommariva said. “He’s still got a lot to learn and a lot to improve upon, but I think that’s part of the attraction. He will get better.”

They saw enough in him to use a second-round pick – 33rd overall – on the 15-year-old Grade 10 student at Wingham’s F. E. Madill Secondary School.

The 6’3”, 190-pound blue liner put up 15 goals, 14 assists and about 14 penalty minutes in 50-plus games this season. His offensive numbers went up this year because of a boost in his on-ice confidence.

“I think all confidence, my offensive abilities came out more this year than last,” Peters said. “Just the confidence that I felt I was a better player, I felt good.”

See the rest of the story.

PETERS REWIND: Check out a Q and A done with Alex Peters' brother, Justin, when he played for the Whalers in 2005-06.

Link courtesy of www.plymouthwhalers.com.

WHALERS WILSON TO NHL COMBINE: Plymouth right wing Tom Wilson has received an invitation to participate in the annual National Hockey League in late May.  Here's the entire list of invitees.

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