The ride may be over for the Tri-City Americans, but fans here will be talking about this season for a long time to come.

There hasn't been a time this exciting since the early days of hockey in the desert in the late 1980s, when folks here were ravenous for any kind of local entertainment and found a team to call their own in the Americans.

Back then, hockey was the hottest ticket in town, and we're glad to see that spirit return.

The Tri-City Americans had a historic season with 52 wins, 108 points, a U.S. Division banner and the Scotty Munro Trophy.

Not a bad season for a team its Western Hockey League brethren picked to finish near the bottom of the 22-team league at the start of the season.

"We didn't try to prove anybody wrong. We just tried to be the best we could," said Tri-City coach Don Nachbaur. "In the end, I think every guy can walk out the door feeling satisfied they accomplished something, because we did. We played the best regular season in franchise history. It's the first time this team has won something in the regular season, and we were a hair short -- one game short -- in the Western Conference finals."

Tri-City Americans general manager Bob Tory added a nice mix of players to the team's protected list during Thursday's Western Hockey League bantam draft with a pair of defensemen, five forwards and one goalie.

With his first pick, 22nd overall, Tory landed 6-foot-1, 200-pound defenseman Zach Yuen of Vancouver, British Columbia.

"We had him rated quite a bit higher and were excited when he was still available," Tory said. "We liked him in the BC Cup and we had a good interview with his family.

KENNEWICK, WA - Tri-City Americans General Manager/Governor Bob Tory and his scouting staff had a common theme when looking at potential players in this year's WHL Bantam Draft...size and skill.

With their first choice (22nd overall), the Americans selected 6'1, 200 pound defenseman Zach Yuen who had 12 goals, 46 points and 108 penalty minutes in 52 games played for the North Shore Winterhawks AAA Bantam. Yuen, a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, was named the Most Valuable Defenseman at the Burnaby Minor Tournament in late December. The Winterhawks, who held a 19-0-1 regular season record, fell one win short of the provincial tournament.

KENNEWICK, WA - For information on future Americans selected in today's Bantam Draft, click here! The 2008 Draft has come to an end for Tri-City; the following is a list of players selected in this year's draft.

KENNEWICK, WA - The Tri-City Americans today made defenseman Zachary Yuen their first pick (22nd overall) in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft, held at the Round-up Centre in Calgary, Alberta.

Yuen, a 6'0 200 lb left defenseman from Vancouver, British Columbia, played for the North Shore Winterhawks Bantam AAA, appearing in 60 games, while recording 16 goals, 51 points and 124 penalty minutes. The Winterhawks finished their regular season with an 11-0-1 record.

KENNEWICK, WA - For the Tri-City Americans, success has its downsides. After claiming finishing on top of the WHL regular season standings in 2007-08, Tri-City will have the final pick in this year's 2008 WHL Bantam Draft, set to take place on Thursday, May 1 at the Round-up Center in Calgary, AB. Tri-City, who didn't have a first-round selection in last year's draft after trading for Colton Yellow Horn, will get the 22nd-overall pick in the first round of this year's draft.

The draft will be held on Thursday, May 1 at the Round-Up Center in Calgary, Alberta starting at 8:30 AM.

Chet Pickard was a virtual unknown in the hockey world when he took over as the Tri-City Americans starting goalie at the beginning of the season.

After winning 46 regular-season games and posting a 2.32 goals against average with a .918 save percentage, Pickard now is topping the list of goalies eligible for the June 20 NHL draft.

The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, added another feather in his cap Wednesday, being named the Western Hockey League's goaltender of the year.

KENNEWICK, WA - The Tri-City Americans are proud to announce that Governor/General Manager Bob Tory, Head Coach Don Nachbaur and goaltender Chet Pickard all won their respective categories at the WHL Awards luncheon today at the Round-Up Center in Calgary, Alberta. Tory nabbed the Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy for the league's top executive, Nachbaur collected the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy for Coach of the Year honors, while Pickard picked up the Del Wilson Trophy for the league's best goaltender.