A pair of Eastman Select AAA Bantam players were auto-protected by the Steinbach Pistons for the upcoming MJHl Draft which will be held on Sunday, April 26th.

Job Peters and Luke Mistlebacher put up some eye-popping, attention grabbing numbers and their coach Chris McColm says it's the little things that make them elite talent. "Both kids have great character. They are both coachable kids, they had a fantastic year."

Peters had 23 goals, 33 assists for 56 points in 36 games with the selects. McColm believes he will be an offensive threat everywhere he goes. "Every time he's on the ice, his speed makes him dangerous. I haven't seen a kid that fast in Bantam in years. He was the fastest skater at the Bantam All-Star game. His quickness and speed really stand out."

Along with blistering speed, Peters is also known for his passion to get better every day. "After practice, he'd do an extra lap or take a couple more shots, he just always wants to practice. He's always asking questions about what he can do better, how he can work on his game. He's very dedicated that way. He has some superstitions as well, he likes to be the last guy off the ice, whether it's a game or practice."

Being named Captain of the Selects this year, McColm says he really grew into the role of a leader. "At 14 years old, it's a big responsibility. The reason he was chosen was one, everyone looks up to Job. He's very likable. Not just with coaches and teammates but around the league. He has a lot of respect from players on other teams. He carries himself very respectfully and he's a great character kid."

Peters says he's excited to be a part of the Pistons organization and it's made even better that he's not going alone. "It just makes it even better. Mistle is a great hockey player and getting to play there with him would be awesome."

Mistlebacher also put up superb numbers and became a lethal goal scorer after potting 33 goals and adding 22 assists in 34 games. 

McColm says as a player, Mistlebacher has grown into a dominant force. "Luke is maybe the most developed player this year. In the second half of the year, his offensive capabilities just grew. He's got great hands, great show. He's a goal scorer. I can't say enough about his determination, his compete level and him wanting to be the player to score a big goal. He was probably our most improved player."

Competitive is a word that describes Mistlebacher according to his coach and his drive is what really separates him from other players his age. "I know he was disappointed he was not selected to play in the All-Star game but his response to that was absolutely incredible. He came back, he worked so hard. He vastly improved his game and he became one of the top players as the year went on. The compete level will surely help him as he goes onto the next levels. He wants the puck on his stick in the big moments and it's guys like that, that find success."