Kelowna Rocket among top NHL draft prospects

Jan 12, 2024 | 11:15 AM Pete McIntyre

The Western Hockey League has announced that 60 of its players have been listed by NHL Central Scouting in its midterm rankings for the 2024 NHL Draft.

The rankings were announced Friday by NHL Central Scouting.

Macklin Celebrini, a freshman forward with Boston University, was a unanimous choice at number one. The 17-year-old center from Vancouver is the first of three men’s college hockey players among the top four on the list.

Eight WHL skaters were ranked within the top 20 among North American skaters, including Cayden Lindstrom (Medicine Hat Tigers), Carter Yakemchuk (Calgary Hitmen), Berkly Catton (Spokane Chiefs), Tij Iginla (Kelowna Rockets), Adam Jecho (Edmonton Oil Kings), Terik Parascak (Prince George Cougars), Ryder Ritchie (Prince Albert Raiders), and Andrew Basha (Medicine Hat Tigers).

Two WHL netminders were ranked among the top 10 North American goaltenders, including Dawson Cowan (Spokane Chiefs) and Lukas Matecha (Tri-City Americans).

All 22 WHLteams are represented in the midterm rankings. Leading all WHL clubs, the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes both boast five ranked players, while the Edmonton Oil Kings, Everett Silvertips, Medicine Hat Tigers and Red Deer Rebels all have four players ranked.

A total of 37 WHL forwards find themselves ranked, joined by 15 WHL defencemen and eight WHL goaltenders.

The 60 WHL players listed leads the entire Canadian Hockey League. In total, 147 CHL players are listed including 53 from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and 34 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

2023-24 NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings – WHL Skaters

Rank	Last Name	First Name	Hometown	Team	Ht	Wt	Pos
3	Lindstrom	Cayden	Chetwynd, B.C.	Medicine Hat Tigers	6’3”	210	C
6	Yakemchuk	Carter	Calgary, Alta.	Calgary Hitmen	6’3”	190	D
9	Catton	Berkly	Saskatoon, Sask.	Spokane Chiefs	5’11”	170	C
11	Iginla	Tij	Lake Country, B.C.	Kelowna Rockets	6’0”	186	C
13	Jecho	Adam	Zlin, Czechia	Edmonton Oil Kings	6’5”	201	C
14	Parascak	Terik	Lethbridge, Alta.	Prince George Cougars	6’0”	176	RW
16	Ritchie	Ryder	Kelowna, B.C.	Prince Albert Raiders	6’0”	175	RW
18	Basha	Andrew	Calgary, Alta.	Medicine Hat Tigers	5’11”	184	LW
24	Roberts	Colton	Maple Ridge, B.C.	Vancouver Giants	6’4”	198	D
26	Curran	Max	Prague, Czechia	Tri-City Americans	6’3”	179	C
28	Elick	Charlie	Calgary, Alta.	Brandon Wheat Kings	6’3”	200	D
29	Howe	Tanner	Prince Albert, Sask.	Regina Pats	5’10”	182	LW
33	Marques	Miguel	Prince George, B.C.	Lethbridge Hurricanes	5’11”	173	RW
43	Josephson	Ollie	Victoria, B.C.	Red Deer Rebels	6’0”	185	C
44	Wetsch	Carson	North Vancouver, B.C.	Calgary Hitmen	6’0”	187	RW
49	Miettinen	Julius	Helsinki, Finland	Everett Silvertips	6’3”	205	C
54	Smith	Tarin	Porcupine Plain, Sask.	Everett Silvertips	6’1”	175	D
66	Misskey	Nate	Melfort, Sask.	Victoria Royals	6’3”	210	D
67	Brunicke	Harrison	Calgary, Alta.	Kamloops Blazers	6’2”	185	D
68	Caswell	Clarke	Brandon, Man.	Swift Current Broncos	5’11”	170	LW
84	Becher	Ondrej	Ostrava, Czechia	Prince George Cougars	6’1”	184	C
90	Mrsic	Tomas	Surrey, B.C.	Medicine Hat Tigers	5’11”	170	C
94	Gojsic	Hiroki	Langley, B.C.	Kelowna Rockets	6’3”	198	RW
98	McIsaac	William	Vancouver, B.C.	Spokane Chiefs	6’3”	192	D
99	Alcos	Parker	Port Moody, B.C.	Edmonton Oil Kings	6’3”	180	D
107	Jamieson	Eric	Calgary, Alta.	Everett Silvertips	6’3”	199	D
108	Laing	Hunter	Kelowna, B.C.	Prince George Cougars	6’5”	205	C
110	Thorpe	Tyler	Richmond, B.C.	Vancouver Giants	6’4”	209	RW
114	Buttazzoni	Diego	Langley, B.C.	Portland Winterhawks	5’9”	183	C
118	Zakreski	Josh	Saskatoon, Sask.	Portland Winterhawks	5’11”	188	LW
123	Cooper	Miles	Calgary, Alta.	Wenatchee Wild	5’10”	163	C
136	Vaughan	Corbin	Merritt, B.C.	Regina Pats	6’0”	205	D
139	Fluker	Josh	Boissevain, Man.	Wenatchee Wild	6’0”	160	D
148	Vaughan	Jaxsin	Merritt, B.C.	Regina Pats	6’1”	206	RW
162	Heslop	Jesse	Nanaimo, B.C.	Everett Silvertips	5’11”	171	LW
163	Fawcett	Keets	Grimshaw, Alta.	Calgary Hitmen	5’10”	167	RW
170	McKenzie	Pavel	Cumberland House, Sask.	Moose Jaw Warriors	6’0”	174	LW
175	Hadland	Caleb	Sylvan Lake, Alta.	Brandon Wheat Kings	5’10”	174	LW
187	Edwards	Brayden	Abbotsford, B.C.	Lethbridge Hurricanes	6’0”	186	C
188	Smith	Shane	Cessford, Alta.	Medicine Hat Tigers	6’0”	194	C
190	Wilke	Trae	Saskatoon, Sask.	Lethbridge Hurricanes	6’0”	191	LW
192	Ward	Landen	Lloydminster, Alta.	Lethbridge Hurricanes	6’3”	200	LW
195	Valliant	Chase	Surrey, B.C.	Calgary Hitmen	6’0”	174	C
200	Pederson	Rhys	Stettler, Alta.	Edmonton Oil Kings	6’4”	194	D
206	Davidson	Hyde	Edmonton, Alta.	Seattle Thunderbirds	6’2”	165	D
210	Mistelbacher	Luke	Steinbach, Man.	Swift Current Broncos	6’0”	195	RW
211	Williams	Dax	Calgary, Alta.	Calgary Hitmen	6’0”	190	D
214	Pickford	Bryce	Chauvin, Alta.	Seattle Thunderbirds	6’0”	170	D
220	Kubiesa	Matej	Frydek-Mistek, Czechia	Prince Albert Raiders	5’11”	171	RW
221	Drancak	Samuel	Strakonice, Czechia	Red Deer Rebels	5’11”	185	C
223	Titlbach	Adam	Litvinov, Czechia	Vancouver Giants	5’9”	164	C
224	Hodnett	Gavin	Winnipeg, Man.	Edmonton Oil Kings	5’7”	158	C

2023-24 NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings – WHL Goaltenders

Rank	Last Name	First Name	Hometown	Team	Ht	Wt	Pos
5	Cowan	Dawson	Warren, Man.	Spokane Chiefs	6’2”	185	G
9	Matecha	Lukas	Paradubice, Czechia	Tri-City Americans	6’3”	194	G
13	Wutzke	Chase	Debden, Sask.	Red Deer Rebels	6’2”	158	G
16	Gardner	Evan	Lake Country, B.C.	Saskatoon Blades	6’0”	175	G
18	Unger	Jackson	Calgary, Alta.	Moose Jaw Warriors	6’1”	185	G
21	Spunar	Jan	Olomouc, Czechia	Portland Winterhawks	6’3”	185	G
26	Meneghin	Harrison	South Surrey, B.C.	Lethbridge Hurricanes	6’3”	164	G
28	Stoesser	Rhett	Carstairs, Alta.	Red Deer Rebels	6’1”	206	G