If you’re looking for what Ethan Bear is, he’s a very good Western Hockey League defenceman for the Seattle Thunderbirds, who has played for Canada at the world under 18 championship in Switzerland this past spring and at last summer’s Ivan Hlinka tournament, also wearing the maple leaf.

But if you want to know who Ethan Bear is, he’s the fifth-round Edmonton Oilers’ draft pick who is attending the Oilers prospects camp. He’s also a kid carrying the torch for other aboriginal hockey players, growing up on the Ochapowace First Nation in Whitewood, Sask.

“There’s a great deal of pride in that,” said Bear, who turned 18 the first day of the NHL draft when Connor McDavid was the first name called by the Oilers.

“I’m proud of who I am and where I come from and I get lots of support,” Bear said. “It’s really special. I really love my heritage.

“Growing up we had a rink right on the reserve, so after school my buddies and I would also go there. It was always open, at any time. The rink manager also kept it open for us. I give credit to them for making me who I am,” he said.

“My role model was my brother (Everett), who’s 31 and played at U of Manitoba, but I also like Jordin Tootoo and Carey Price. ... Jordin’s a really tough guy. I’m not like that, but I like his hard work and determination,” said Bear, who admits his favourite team was always Price’s Montreal Canadiens, until he tugged on an Oilers jersey.

Bear was gone from Ochapowace when he was 14, however. He went to Kelowna’s Pursuit of Excellence program, where the kids are in school for 2 ½ hours a day, with similar time on the ice, working on skills outside of math problems.

“I was thinking of going to Notre Dame (Wilcox, Sask.), which is only about two hours from the reserve, would have been a lot closer to home, but I had a friend at the Pursuit of Excellence.”

“It was pretty young but I lived with two of my best buddies. It wasn’t too hard because my mum (Geraldine) came every month. I wasn’t homesick,” he said.

Bear went 124th overall to the Oilers at the draft in Fort Lauderdale.

“I wasn’t sure where I was going to get drafted but to have my family there, it was pretty emotional because they supported me all the way. ... My agent took me down, thinking I’d go in the third or fourth round, but I’m really happy where I went ,” said the engaging Bear, who lasted to the fifth round because he’s vertically challenged at 5’11” and 198 pounds, not four inches taller.

“I don’t think I’ve had a fight with that (his size). I think whatever league I’ve been in, I’ve managed well, playing against bigger guys,” said Bear. He’ll be the No. 1 D-man on the Thunderbirds in the upcoming season because Anaheim’s first-rounder Shea Theodore, a teammate of McDavid on Canada’s world under 20 team this past Christmas, is playing pro.