The Edmonton Oil Kings have signed four Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) student-athletes to Western Hockey League (WHL) Standard Player Agreements (SPA).
Carter Kowalyk, John Szabo, Ben Wright and Braeden Wynne have all signed with the Oil Kings.
Originally a fourth-round pick, 86th overall in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, Kowalyk is headed into his third season with the Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX). He joined the program in 2019/20 tallying 18 points in 28 games. In 2020/21 the St. Albert, AB defensemen played three U16 Prep games, finishing with one assist.
Szabo is joining the NAX U18 Prep team for the 2021/22 season, his first in the CSSHL. The Lethbridge, AB forward was selected in the sixth-round, 111th overall by the Oil Kings in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft.
Another member of the Oil Kings 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, Wright was selected in the 10th round, 218th overall. Wright has spent the last two seasons in the CSSHL with Shawnigan Lake School, recording 47 points in 30 U15 Prep games during the 2019/20 season. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Mill Bay, BC forward was unable to play any CSSHL games with the Shawnigan U17 Prep team during the 2020/21 campaign.
An undrafted defenseman from Coquitlam, BC, Wynne has spent the past three seasons in the CSSHL with BWC Academy. He joined the BWC U15 team in 2018/19, playing 30 games while recording 20 points. He would finish with 11 points in 31 U16 Prep games the following season, before playing 4 U18 Prep games during the 2020/21 campaign.