2023 WLA Entry Draft protected players & draft results
Patrick Dodds, Victoria Shamrocks, 2019 Minto Cup (Photo: BCJALL)
The Western Lacrosse Association held their 2023 Entry Draft at the Langley Events Centre on Tuesday, January 17, the Burnaby Lakers selecting Jacob Dunbar with the #1 overall pick.
Dunbar, who spent his last season of British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League ball suiting up for the Nanaimo Timbermen and is also on the San Diego Seals’ roster in the National Lacrosse League, had played his two previous junior seasons with the Port Coquitlam Saints.
Burnaby brass made a move earlier in the day to ensure they got their man.
Prior to the draft, the Lakers traded their second-overall pick in this year’s draft and their first-round pick in the 2024 WLA Entry Draft to the Victoria Shamrocks for this year’s first-overall selection, used of course to take Dunbar at #1. Victoria would then take Dunbar’s Timbermen teammate Arthur Miller (NJIT) with the next pick.
Below, see who teams protected ahead of this year’s draft, plus all 35 players selected in the 2023 WLA Entry Draft.
Protected players
Burnaby Lakers: Matteo Tack and Nic Dos Santos
Coquitlam Adanacs: Adam Noakes and Nick Musso
Langley Thunder: Matt Abbott and Kyle Brunsch
Maple Ridge Burrards: Drew Andrew and Isaac Ngyou
Nanaimo Timbermen: Justin Geddie and Ryan Sheridan
New Westminster Salmonbellies: Noah Armitage and Ben Stewart
Victoria Shamrocks: Patrick Dodds and Casey Wilson
2023 WLA Entry Draft Results
Overall pick. Player, WLA team (Junior A team)
First Round
1. Jacob Dunbar, Burnaby (Nanaimo)
2. Arthur Miller, Victoria (Nanaimo)
3. Evan Soucy, Nanaimo (Nanaimo)
4. Denton MacDonald, Victoria (Victoria)
5. Griffin Hall, Nanaimo (Victoria)
6. Kaden Doughty, Maple Ridge (Langley)
7. Nikhal Dhandwar, Langley (New Westminster)
Second Round
8. Mitchell Sandberg, Maple Ridge (Victoria)
9. Owen Russell, Victoria (Victoria)
10. Drew Kask, Coquitlam (Langley)
11. Aidan Danby, Burnaby (Delta)
12. Evan Pattison, Nanaimo (Nanaimo)
13. Dylan Robinson, Coquitlam (Coquitlam)
14. Keegan Melenchuck, Burnaby (Edmonton)
Third Round
15. Spencer Ma, Maple Ridge (Coquitlam)
16. Ryan Flack, Burnaby (Delta)
17. Stryker Roloff, Nanaimo (Langley)
18. Trent DiCicco, Victoria (Victoria)
19. Easton Ong, Nanaimo (Nanaimo)
20. Brian Simmons, Nanaimo (Coquitlam)
21. Ryan Heard, Langley (Burnaby)
Fourth Round
22. Trevor Funk, Maple Ridge (Coquitlam)
23. Butch La Roue, Burnaby (Burnaby)
24. Kip Guthrie, New Westminster (New Westminster)
25. Isaac Swan, Victoria (Victoria)
26. Andrew Bishop, Nanaimo (New Westminster)
27. Ryan Suzukovich, Coquitlam (Port Coquitlam)
28. Connor Nichols, Langley (Coquitlam)
Fifth Round
29. Luke Evans, Maple Ridge (Langley)
30. Ben Spare, Burnaby (Langley)
31. Troy Cuzzetto, New Westminster (Langley)
32. Travis Pullan, Victoria (Victoria)
33. Karson Gregory, Nanaimo (Nanaimo)
34. Kobe McComber, Coquitlam (Coquitlam)
35. Tristan Kirkham, Langley (Langley)