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Carter Gylander was tough on NHL scouts.

They had to phone ahead to see if he was playing in Sherwood Park or else he would he be sitting on the bench with a ballcap on his head while Matt Verlin, who had three years experience in the WHL, was in net.

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Gylander, who turned 18 June 5, only played 22 games for the AJHL club, just 1,256 minutes, but when he did play he was very good, 16-4, 2.43 average, .915 save percentage for the Crusaders, and he caught the eye of the Detroit Red Wings.

They picked him with their last pick in the seventh round Saturday.

“He was protected on what teams he played against, he was tough to get a book on … but his size is intriguing,” said an NHL bird-dog who watches teams in Western Canada.

“He didn’t play much but there was one night in January or February when I was out watching him play and Tyler (director of scouting Wright) was there, the big shots were out to see him,” said Rick Jackson, one of Central Scouting’s Western evaluators, who had been a big fan for months, pumping his tires.