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Wednesday, January 18, 2017

58 WHL Players Including 4 Pats on Central Scouting's Mid-Term List




 The Western Hockey League announced today that 58 WHL players have been listed by NHL Central Scouting in its midterm rankings in advance of the 2017 NHL Draft, scheduled for June 23 to 24 in Chicago.
Heading the list is Nolan Patrick (Winnipeg, MB / Brandon Wheat Kings), ranked first among North American skaters. Michael Rasmussen (sixth – Tri-City Americans), Cody Glass (eighth – Portland Winterhawks) and Jusso Valimaki (ninth – Tri-City Americans) join Patrick in representing the WHL amongst the top 10 North American skaters.
A total of 12 WHL skaters land in the top 31, including Cal Foote (12th – Kelowna Rockets), Kailer Yamamoto (17th – Spokane Chiefs), Nikita Popugaev (18th – Prince George Cougars), Kole Lind (21st – Kelowna Rockets), Henri Jokiharju (22nd – Portland Winterhawks), Stelio Mattheos (23rd – Brandon Wheat Kings), Nick Henry (25th – Regina Pats) and Jake Leschyshyn (31st – Regina Pats).
Ian Scott (Prince Albert Raiders) is ranked second amongst North American goaltenders.
The Tri-City Americans lead all WHL clubs with six players ranked, followed by the Spokane Chiefs (five), Regina Pats and Portland Winterhawks (four each).
The WHL leads the entire Canadian Hockey League with 12 skaters ranked in the top 31, followed by the Ontario Hockey League with 11 skaters and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with two skaters.
Of the 58 WHL players listed in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings, 15 will participate in the 2017 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects game, scheduled for January 30 in Quebec City.
At the 2016 NHL Draft, a total of 34 WHL players were selected, including four during the first round.
2017 NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING MIDTERM RANKINGS (NORTH AMERICA) – WHL SKATERS
RankLast NameFirst NameTeamLeagueHeightWeightPos
1PATRICKNOLANBRANDONWHL6’2.75″198C
6RASMUSSENMICHAELTRI-CITYWHL6’5.75”215C
8GLASSCODYPORTLANDWHL6’1.75”180C
9VALIMAKIJUUSOTRI-CITYWHL6’1.5”204D
12FOOTECALKELOWNAWHL6’3.5”213D
17YAMAMOTOKAILERSPOKANEWHL5’7.5”153RW
18POPUGAEVNIKITAPRINCE GEORGEWHL6’5.5”204LW
21LINDKOLEKELOWNAWHL6’1.0”176RW
22JOKIHARJUHENRIPORTLANDWHL5’11.75”176D
23MATTHEOSSTELIOBRANDONWHL6’0.75”190RW
25HENRYNICKREGINAWHL5’10.75”191RW
31LESCHYSHYNJAKEREGINAWHL5’10.75”184C
33TYSZKAJARRETSEATTLEWHL6’2.25”190D
36HEPONIEMIALEKSISWIFT CURRENTWHL5’9.75”147C
40ANDERSON-DOLANJARETSPOKANEWHL5’11.0”188C
49MINULINARTYOMSWIFT CURRENTWHL6’2.25”202D
50GEEKIEMORGANTRI-CITYWHL6’2.25”178C
58OLSONKYLETRI-CITYWHL5’10.5”161RW
63SHAWMASONMEDICINE HATWHL5’8.5”180C
70ZABLOCKILANERED DEERWHL5’11.5”190RW
74FLEURYCALEKOOTENAYWHL6’1.25”203D
75BROOKJOSHMOOSE JAWWHL6’1.0”182D
83PRATTAUSTINRED DEERWHL6’2.25”226RW
84COGHLANDYLANTRI-CITYWHL6’2.0”189D
87PECKFORDRYANVICTORIAWHL6’0.0”185LW
91BELLERIVEJORDYLETHBRIDGEWHL5’9.75”196C
93MOILANENSAMISEATTLEWHL5’8.5”185RW
98SMARTJONATHANREGINAWHL6’0.0”197D
105LEWISTYBRANDONWHL5’11.0”177LW
109DE JONGBRENDANPORTLANDWHL6’5.25”192D
110PLOUFFEDYLANVANCOUVERWHL5’11.75”184D
112BOWENRYANLETHBRIDGEWHL6’1.75”170RW
119RUBINCHIKMARKSASKATOONWHL5’11.75”179D
120GORDABRAYDENEDMONTONWHL6’1.75”188D
130LEASONBRETTTRI-CITYWHL6’3.75”196C
133KASTELICMARKCALGARYWHL6’3.0”203C
134WEDMANMATTHEWSEATTLEWHL6’2.5”195C
138STEENBERGENTYLERSWIFT CURRENTWHL5’10.25”188C
140HALBGEWACHSJAYDENMOOSE JAWWHL5’7.5”157C
141MCINDOEETHANSPOKANEWHL6’0.75”171LW
142DAVISBRETTKOOTENAYWHL6’0.75”178RW
152HAYESZACKARYPRINCE ALBERTWHL6’2.0”215D
153WALFORDSCOTTVICTORIAWHL6’1.5”193D
154WARMWILLEDMONTONWHL5’11.25”179D
163PATERSONJOSHSASKATOOONWHL6’1.5”190C
167RUBINSKRISTIANSMEDICINE HATWHL6’4.0”216D
175BURKEBRAYDENMOOSE JAWWHL5’9.75”170LW
177HUGHESRYANPORTLANDWHL5’6.75″151C
181HOLTDAWSONVANCOUVERWHL5’10.75”187C
190SEMCHUKBRENDANVANCOUVERWHL5’11.0”178RW
197GRISHAKOVANDREICALGARYWHL6’0.5”204LW
199YERYOMENKOVLADISLAVCALGARYWHL5’11.5”171D
LVMCGREWJACOBSPOKANEWHL5’9.75”190RW

2017 NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING MIDTERM RANKINGS (NORTH AMERICA) – WHL GOALTENDERS
RankLast NameFirst NameTeamLeagueHeightWeightC
2SCOTTIANPRINCE ALBERTWHL6’3.25”174L
9SKINNERSTUARTLETHBRIDGEWHL6’3.5”209L
11HOLLETTJORDANREGINAWHL6’4.0”194L
17FERGUSONDYLANKAMLOOPSWHL6’1.25”189L
31WEATHERILLDAWSONSPOKANEWHL6’4.5”189L

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Really don't understand the Nolan Patrick love.

Anonymous said...

Is Lane Zablocki not eligible to be drafted? I thought he would be on this list.


Anonymous said...

You obviously haven't watched Nolan Patrick develop since joining Brandon as a 16 year old. The guy is 100% NHL bound.

Anonymous said...

Anon 2. Look again, Zablocki is at 70!

Anonymous said...


I don't know if Patrick is the top player on the board, but the kid is a force. That injury derailed him somewhat, but not enough to stop the scouts from knowing what he brings to the table. He won't be a McDavid/Crosby type player, but I can see him being a #1 center for someone. Would Kelly make a deal to get this kid to Vegas? Hmmmmmm!!