Growing up in Calgary, Peter Kosterman learned to admire the play of defencemen Robyn Regehr and Karl Alzner.
The 14-year-old blue-liner patterned his play after the pair and it paid off last Thursday when the Calgary Hitmen selected him in the first round (19th overall) of the 2008 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.
“I was just really excited,” said Kosterman of being picked by his hometown team. “It’s a thrill to be drafted by the Hitmen. That was the highlight for sure.”
As a fan of Calgary hockey teams, Kosterman has had the chance to watch Alzner play with the Hitmen and Regehr play with the Flames.
“I like watching Robyn Regehr,” said the 6-foot-2, 170-pound rearguard who helped the Calgary Bisons win both a city title and a South Division championship in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League playoffs before they eventually lost in the provincial finals to the Sherwood Park Flyers.
Kosterman then went on to captain the Calgary South Flames to a 2-1 win over the Edmonton South Bruins in the Alberta Cup Championship in Lloydminster on April 27.
“He’s a steady guy,” said Hitmen head scout Brad Whelen of Calgary’s latest first-round prospect. “He’s a big, rangy defenceman that when he gets stronger will be able to log some minutes for us.”
While Kosterman won’t be able to suit up with the Hitmen on a full-time basis until the 2009-10 season, he hopes to continue his development playing at the Midget AAA level next season with the Calgary Buffaloes before moving on to the Major Junior level.
