Seven WHL players were listed in the ‘A’ Skaters category, including Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice, who has been mentioned in the conversation as a possible first overall pick for the 2014 NHL Draft.
Reinhart, a Vancouver, B.C., product, is in his third season with the Kootenay Ice, and led the team in scoring last year with 35 goals and 85 points while helping the Ice make the playoffs for a 15th consecutive season. Reinhart’s older brothers, Max (Kootenay) and Griffin (Edmonton), also played in the WHL and were both drafted by NHL Clubs.
Also making the ‘A’ list are Portland Winterhawks’ forward Chase De Leo, Prince Albert Raiders forward Leon Draisaitl, Red Deer defenceman Haydn Fleury, Calgary Hitmen forward Jake Virtanen and Swift Current Broncos defencemen Brycen Martin and Julius Honka.
The WHL continues to be a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League. 20% of all players who played in the NHL during the 2012-13 season are WHL Graduates. 33 WHL Players were selected by NHL Clubs at the 2013 NHL Draft in New Jersey, including eight players chosen in the first round.
Below is the list of WHL Players named in NHL Central Scouting’s 2014 Preliminary Ones to Watch:
|
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE A SKATERS |
||||
|
Chase De Leo |
Portland |
C |
5'9 |
177 |
|
Leon Draisaitl |
Prince Albert |
C |
6'1.75 |
208 |
|
Haydn Fleury |
Red Deer |
D |
6'2.5 |
198 |
|
Julius Honka |
Swift Current |
D |
5'10 |
167 |
|
Brycen Martin |
Swift Current |
D |
6'1.75 |
184 |
|
Sam Reinhart |
Kootenay |
C |
6'0.75 |
185 |
|
Jake Virtanen |
Calgary |
RW |
6'0.75 |
208 |
|
B SKATERS |
||||
|
Conner Bleackley |
Red Deer |
RW |
6'0.5 |
192 |
|
Jayce Hawryluk |
Brandon |
C |
5'10.25 |
186 |
|
Joseph Hicketts |
Victoria |
D |
5'7.25 |
180 |
|
Waltteri Hopponen |
Everett |
LW |
6'1.25 |
187 |
|
Ivan Nikolishin |
Everett |
C |
5'8.25 |
158 |
|
Nelson Nogier |
Saskatoon |
D |
6'2.25 |
191 |
|
Brayden Point |
Moose Jaw |
C |
5'9.5 |
160 |
|
C SKATERS |
||||
|
Tomas Andrlik |
Prince Albert |
D |
5'11.25 |
182 |
|
Rourke Chartier |
Kelowna |
C |
5'10.5 |
173 |
|
Reid Duke |
Lethbridge |
C |
5'11.5 |
189 |
|
Tanner Faith |
Kootenay |
D |
6'3.25 |
211 |
|
Radel Fazleyev |
Calgary |
C |
6'0.75 |
176 |
|
Justin Gutierrez |
Tri-City |
LW |
6'3.75 |
184 |
|
Joshua Hanson |
Portland |
D |
6'3.25 |
207 |
|
Edson Harlacher |
Kamloops |
D |
6'2 |
187 |
|
Jared Hauf |
Seattle |
D |
6'4.75 |
212 |
|
Keegan Iverson |
Portland |
C/RW |
6'0.75 |
219 |
|
Spenser Jensen |
Medicine Hat |
D |
6'4 |
191 |
|
Justin Marreck |
Tri-City |
LW |
6'3 |
190 |
|
Dysin Mayo |
Edmonton |
D |
5'11.75 |
181 |
|
Tyler Sandhu |
Everett |
C |
5'10 |
162 |
|
Colin Shirley |
Kootenay |
LW |
6'1.5 |
180 |
|
Alexei Sleptsov |
Moose Jaw |
D |
5'11.5 |
160 |
|
Ty Stanton |
Medicine Hat |
D |
6'3.75 |
179 |
|
Dominic Turgeon |
Portland |
C |
6'1.75 |
198 |
|
Taylor Vickerman |
Tri-City |
LW |
5'11.25 |
194 |
|
C GOALTENDERS |
||||
|
Payton Lee |
Vancouver |
G |
6'0.25 |
176 |
|
Austin Lotz |
Everett |
G |
6'0 |
188 |
