Lightning go defense by taking Cal Foote with the 14th pick

TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning selected defenseman Cal Foote from the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League with their first round, 14th overall selection, at the 2017 NHL Draft in Chicago, Illinois.

 

Foote, 18, skated in 71 games with the Rockets last season, posting six goals and 57 points to go along with 41 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound defenseman ranked first on the Rockets among defensemen for points and his 51 assists ranked sixth among all WHL defensemen. He notched 25 assists while on the man-advantage, ranking fourth among all WHL defensemen for power-play assists. Foote also recorded a goal and seven points in 14 WHL playoff games.

 

The Denver, Colorado native has skated in 142 career WHL games, all with Kelowna over the past two seasons, recording 14 goals and 93 points to go along with 77 penalty minutes. During his rookie season, Foote scored a career-high eight goals and added 28 assists.  Foote’s eight goals ranked third among all rookie defensemen in the WHL.