Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today that 58 WHL players have been listed by NHL Central Scouting in its final rankings in advance of the 2017 NHL Draft, scheduled for June 23 and 24 in Chicago.
Heading the list is Nolan Patrick (Winnipeg, Man. / Brandon Wheat Kings), who was ranked first among North American skaters on both the midterm and final rankings. Joining Patrick in the top five is Michael Rasmussen (Surrey, B.C. / Tri-City Americans), ranked fifth after having moved up from sixth in the midterm rankings. Rounding out WHL representation in the top 10 is Cody Glass (Winnipeg, Man. / Portland Winterhawks), ranked sixth after having advanced from eighth in the midterm rankings.
A total of 13 WHL skaters land in the top 31, including Juuso Valimaki (11th – Tri-City Americans), Kailer Yamamoto (17th – Spokane Chiefs), Henri Jokiharju (19th – Portland Winterhawks), Jaret Anderson-Dolan (21st – Spokane Chiefs), Kole Lind (23rd – Kelowna Rockets), Nick Henry (25th – Regina Pats), Aleksi Heponiemi (26th – Swift Current Broncos) and Nikita Popugaev (28th – Prince George Cougars).
Ian Scott (second – Prince Albert Raiders) and Stuart Skinner (fifth – Lethbridge Hurricanes) land in the top five amongst North American goaltenders.
The Tri-City Americans lead all WHL clubs with seven players ranked, followed by the Portland Winterhawks (five), Brandon Wheat Kings, Regina Pats and Spokane Chiefs (four each).
The WHL leads the entire Canadian Hockey League with 13 skaters ranked in the top 31, followed by the Ontario Hockey League with 11 skaters and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with three skaters.
Of the 58 WHL players listed in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings, two have been nominated for WHL Awards, including Heponiemi (Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy – Rookie of the Year) and Tyler Steenbergen (Brad Hornung Trophy – Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year), both of the Swift Current Broncos.
At the 2016 NHL Draft, a total of 34 WHL players were selected, including four during the first round.
2017 NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKINGS (NORTH AMERICA) – WHL SKATERS
| Final Rk ↑ | Midterm Rk | Player | Ht | Wt | Position | WHL Club |
| 1 | 1 | PATRICK, NOLAN | 6′ 2″ | 198 | CENTER | BRANDON |
| 5 | 6 | RASMUSSEN, MICHAEL | 6′ 6″ | 215 | CENTER | TRI-CITY |
| 6 | 8 | GLASS, CODY | 6′ 2″ | 178 | CENTER | PORTLAND |
| 11 | 9 | VALIMAKI, JUUSO | 6′ 2″ | 204 | DEFENSEMAN | TRI-CITY |
| 12 | 12 | FOOTE, CALLAN | 6′ 4″ | 212 | DEFENSEMAN | KELOWNA |
| 17 | 17 | YAMAMOTO, KAILER | 5′ 8″ | 153 | RIGHT WING | SPOKANE |
| 19 | 22 | JOKIHARJU, HENRI | 6′ 0″ | 180 | DEFENSEMAN | PORTLAND |
| 21 | 40 | ANDERSON-DOLAN, JARET | 5′ 11″ | 188 | CENTER | SPOKANE |
| 23 | 21 | LIND, KOLE | 6′ 1″ | 178 | RIGHT WING | KELOWNA |
| 25 | 25 | HENRY, NICK | 5′ 11″ | 191 | RIGHT WING | REGINA |
| 26 | 36 | HEPONIEMI, ALEKSI | 5′ 10″ | 147 | CENTER | SWIFT CURRENT |
| 28 | 18 | POPUGAEV, NIKITA | 6′ 6″ | 217 | LEFT WING | PRINCE GEORGE |
| 38 | 23 | MATTHEOS, STELIO | 6′ 1″ | 192 | RIGHT WING | BRANDON |
| 41 | 33 | TYSZKA, JARRET | 6′ 2″ | 190 | DEFENSEMAN | SEATTLE |
| 42 | 31 | LESCHYSHYN, JAKE | 5′ 11″ | 185 | CENTER | REGINA |
| 45 | 50 | GEEKIE, MORGAN | 6′ 2″ | 178 | CENTER | TRI-CITY |
| 49 | 75 | BROOK, JOSH | 6′ 1″ | 182 | DEFENSEMAN | MOOSE JAW |
| 52 | 70 | ZABLOCKI, LANE | 6′ 0″ | 190 | RIGHT WING | RED DEER |
| 55 | 63 | SHAW, MASON | 5′ 8″ | 180 | CENTER | MEDICINE HAT |
| 56 | 58 | OLSON, KYLE | 5′ 10″ | 161 | RIGHT WING | TRI-CITY |
| 58 | 49 | MINULIN, ARTYOM | 6′ 2″ | 197 | DEFENSEMAN | SWIFT CURRENT |
| 59 | 105 | LEWIS, TY | 5′ 11″ | 177 | LEFT WING | BRANDON |
| 62 | 74 | FLEURY, CALE | 6′ 1″ | 201 | DEFENSEMAN | KOOTENAY |
| 70 | 138 | STEENBERGEN, TYLER | 5′ 10″ | 188 | CENTER | SWIFT CURRENT |
| 77 | 84 | COGHLAN, DYLAN | 6′ 2″ | 189 | DEFENSEMAN | TRI-CITY |
| 82 | 91 | BELLERIVE, JORDAN | 5′ 10″ | 196 | CENTER | LETHBRIDGE |
| 86 | 87 | PECKFORD, RYAN | 6′ 0″ | 185 | LEFT WING | VICTORIA |
| 87 | 109 | DE JONG, BRENDAN | 6′ 5″ | 192 | DEFENSEMAN | PORTLAND |
| 90 | 153 | WALFORD, SCOTT | 6′ 2″ | 193 | DEFENSEMAN | VICTORIA |
| 95 | 199 | YERYOMENKO, VLADISLAV | 6′ 0″ | 171 | DEFENSEMAN | CALGARY |
| 103 | 83 | PRATT, AUSTIN | 6′ 2″ | 226 | RIGHT WING | RED DEER |
| 110 | 93 | MOILANEN, SAMI | 5′ 8″ | 185 | RIGHT WING | SEATTLE |
| 132 | 141 | MCINDOE, ETHAN | 6′ 1″ | 171 | LEFT WING | SPOKANE |
| 133 | 130 | LEASON, BRETT | 6′ 4″ | 196 | CENTER | TRI-CITY |
| 134 | 154 | WARM, WILL | 5′ 11″ | 179 | DEFENSEMAN | EDMONTON |
| 135 | 110 | PLOUFFE, DYLAN | 6′ 0″ | 184 | DEFENSEMAN | VANCOUVER |
| 140 | 119 | RUBINCHIK, MARK | 6′ 0″ | 179 | DEFENSEMAN | SASKATOON |
| 142 | 142 | DAVIS, BRETT | 6′ 1″ | 178 | RIGHT WING | KOOTENAY |
| 147 | 120 | GORDA, BRAYDEN | 6′ 2″ | 188 | DEFENSEMAN | EDMONTON |
| 149 | 98 | SMART, JONATHAN | 6′ 0″ | 197 | DEFENSEMAN | REGINA |
| 153 | N/R | KREBS, DAKOTA | 6′ 4″ | 200 | DEFENSEMAN | TRI-CITY |
| 168 | 140 | HALBGEWACHS, JAYDEN | 5′ 8″ | 157 | LEFT WING | MOOSE JAW |
| 169 | 177 | HUGHES, RYAN | 5′ 7″ | 151 | CENTER | PORTLAND |
| 173 | N/R | BUKAC, DANIEL | 6′ 4″ | 185 | DEFENSEMAN | BRANDON |
| 174 | 197 | GRISHAKOV, ANDREI | 6′ 0″ | 204 | LEFT WING | CALGARY |
| 176 | N/R | MCKENZIE, SKYLER | 5′ 8″ | 154 | LEFT WING | PORTLAND |
| 182 | 133 | KASTELIC, MARK | 6′ 3″ | 203 | CENTER | CALGARY |
| 187 | 175 | BURKE, BRAYDEN | 5′ 10″ | 170 | LEFT WING | MOOSE JAW |
| 192 | N/R | KELLY, PARKER | 5′ 10″ | 170 | CENTER | PRINCE ALBERT |
| 202 | 152 | HAYES, ZACKARY | 6′ 2″ | 215 | DEFENSEMAN | PRINCE ALBERT |
| 204 | 112 | BOWEN, RYAN | 6′ 2″ | 170 | RIGHT WING | LETHBRIDGE |
| 205 | 163 | PATERSON, JOSH | 6′ 2″ | 190 | CENTER | SASKATOON |
| 210 | 134 | WEDMAN, MATTHEW | 6′ 2″ | 195 | CENTER | SEATTLE |
2017 NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKINGS (NORTH AMERICA) – WHL GOALTENDERS
| Final Rk ↑ | Midterm Rk | Player | Ht | Wt | Position | WHL Club |
| 3 | 2 | SCOTT, IAN | 6′ 3″ | 172 | GOALIE | PRINCE ALBERT |
| 5 | 9 | SKINNER, STUART | 6′ 3″ | 205 | GOALIE | LETHBRIDGE |
| 8 | 17 | FERGUSON, DYLAN | 6′ 1″ | 189 | GOALIE | KAMLOOPS |
| 15 | 11 | HOLLETT, JORDAN | 6′ 4″ | 194 | GOALIE | REGINA |
| 25 | 31 | WEATHERILL, DAWSON | 6′ 4″ | 189 | GOALIE | SPOKANE |
- N/R = not previously listed in midterm rankings
For the complete list, CLICK HERE.
