143 CHL Players to Watch Ahead of 2022 NHL Draft
Published on October 19, 2021 under Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release
TORONTO - 143 Canadian Hockey League players have been listed as Players to Watch by NHL Central Scouting ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft.
The 143 CHL players include 66 from the Ontario Hockey League, 45 from the Western Hockey League, and 32 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
In all, seven players received 'A' ratings, indicating likely first-round candidates. Three 'A' rated players come from the WHL and two each from the OHL and QMJHL.
From the WHL, 'A' rated talent includes Winnipeg ICE centres Conor Geekie and Matt Savoie as well as Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Denton Mateychuk.
From the OHL, the list of 'A' talent includes Guelph Storm centre Matthew Poitras as well as Kingston Frontenacs centre Shane Wright.
Rounding out the list, the two 'A' rated players from the QMJHL include Quebec Remparts centre Nathan Gaucher and Gatineau Olympiques defenceman Tristan Luneau.
The remainder of the list counts 29 players who received a 'B' rating, indicating likely second- and third-round selections. The 'B' rated group counts 18 forwards, 10 defencemen, and one goaltender. Additionally, 107 players received a 'C' rating, indicating likely fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-round candidates. The 'C' rated group counts 63 forwards, 31 defencemen, and 13 goaltenders. Collectively, the rankings include 86 forwards, 43 defencemen, and 14 goaltenders.
In all, 52 CHL clubs are represented by at least one player, with the London Knights headlining the list with eight players followed by the Guelph Storm and Sudbury Wolves each with six, and the Niagara IceDogs and North Bay Battalion each with five. In the WHL, the Prince George Cougars, Seattle Thunderbirds, and Swift Current Broncos are the most represented clubs, each with four players, while in the QMJHL, the Gatineau Olympiques, Halifax Mooseheads, and Moncton Wildcats headline the league each with four representatives.
The 2021 NHL Draft saw 87 CHL players selected, marking the league's best showing since 2017. The 2022 NHL Draft will be held July 7-8 in Montreal.
'A' RANKED PLAYERS
NATHAN GAUCHER - C - QUEBEC (QMJHL)
CONOR GEEKIE - C - WINNIPEG (WHL)
TRISTAN LUNEAU - D - GATINEAU (QMJHL)
DENTON MATEYCHUK - D - MOOSE JAW (WHL)
MATTHEW POITRAS - C - GUELPH (OHL)
MATT SAVOIE - C - WINNIPEG (WHL)
SHANE WRIGHT - C - KINGSTON (OHL)
'B' RANKED PLAYERS
LIAM ARNSBY - C - NORTH BAY (OHL)
OWEN BECK - C - MISSISSAUGA (OHL)
TYLER BRENNAN - G - PRINCE GEORGE (WHL)
MICHAEL BUCHINGER - D - GUELPH (OHL)
AIDAN CASTLE - LW - NIAGARA (OHL)
JOSH DAVIES - LW - SWIFT CURRENT (WHL)
JORIAN DONOVAN - D - HAMILTON (OHL)
JACKSON EDWARD - D - LONDON (OHL)
PANO FIMIS - C - NIAGARA (OHL)
DAVID GOYETTE - C - SUDBURY (OHL)
CEDRICK GUINDON - C - OWEN SOUND (OHL)
HUNTER HAIGHT - C - BARRIE (OHL)
GAVIN HAYES - RW - FLINT (OHL)
JAKE KARABELA - C - GUELPH (OHL)
VSEVOLOD KOMAROV - D - QUEBEC (QMJHL)
KEVIN KORCHINSKI - D - SEATTLE (WHL)
MAVERIC LAMOUREUX - D - DRUMMONDVILLE (QMJHL)
ZAKARY LAVOIE - RW - MISSISSAUGA (OHL)
MATS LINDGREN - D - KAMLOOPS (WHL)
PAUL LUDWINSKI - LW - KINGSTON (OHL)
MCCONNELL-BARKER BRYCE - C - SOO (OHL)
FRASER MINTEN - C - KAMLOOPS (WHL)
PAVEL MINTYUKOV - D - SAGINAW (OHL)
TY NELSON - D - NORTH BAY (OHL)
VINZENZ ROHRER - RW - OTTAWA (OHL)
MATYAS SAPOVALIV - C - SAGINAW (OHL)
SPENCER SOVA - D - ERIE (OHL)
ANTONIN VERREAULT - LW - GATINEAU (QMJHL)
DANNY ZHILKIN - C - GUELPH (OHL)
'C' RANKED PLAYERS
RYAN ABRAHAM - C - WINDSOR (OHL)
ERIC ALARIE - LW - MOOSE JAW (WHL)
SAM ALFANO - RW - PETERBOROUGH (OHL)
MAREK ALSCHER - D - PORTLAND (WHL)
NDRE ANANIA - D - SUDBURY (OHL)
MAXIM BARBASHEV - LW - MONCTON (QMJHL)
MASON BEAUPIT - G - SPOKANE (WHL)
PARKER BELL - LW -TRI-CITY (WHL)
ALEX BLAIS - C - CHICOUTIMI (QMJHL)
PAVEL BOCHAROV - D - SASKATOON (WHL)
ANGUS BOOTH - D - SHAWINIGAN (QMJHL)
DANIIL BOURASH - C -ROUYN-NORANDA (QMJHL)
BRAEDEN BOWMAN - RW - GUELPH (OHL)
BRETT BROCHU - G - LONDON (OHL)
GAVIN BRYANT - C - OWEN SOUND (OHL)
BEN BUJOLD - C - LONDON (OHL)
FRANCOIS-JAMESBUTEAU - D - CAPE BRETON (QMJHL)
LORENZO CANONICA - C - SHAWINIGAN (QMJHL)
BRICE COOKE - LW - NIAGARA (OHL)
JUSTIN COTE - LW - DRUMMONDVILLE (QMJHL)
BRODY CRANE - LW - LONDON (OHL)
NICK DEGRAZIA - LW - SUDBURY (OHL)
LUCA DEL BEL BELLUZ - C - MISSISSAUGA (OHL)
KOCHA DELIC - C - SUDBURY (OHL)
JUSTIN DEZOETE - RW - PETERBOROUGH (OHL)
RODWIN DIONICIO - D - NIAGARA (OHL)
DOMENIC DIVINCENTIIS - G - NORTH BAY (OHL)
KEATON DOWHANIUK - D - PRINCE GEORGE (WHL)
JORDAN DUMAIS - RW - HALIFAX (QMJHL)
REID DYCK - G - SWIFT CURRENT (WHL)
ZACH FILAK - C - SARNIA (OHL)
VINCENT FILION - G - MONCTON (QMJHL)
JAGGER FIRKUS - RW - MOOSE JAW (WHL)
JACOB FRASCA - C - BARRIE (OHL)
JAKE FURLONG - D - HALIFAX (QMJHL)
MARC-ANDREGAUDET -D-ACADIE-BATHURST (QMJHL)
ALEXIS GENDRON - RW -BLAINVILLE-BOISBRIAND (QMJHL)
ISAIAH GEORGE - D - LONDON (OHL)
DYLLAN GILL - D -ROUYN-NORANDA (QMJHL)
MAX GRAHAM - C - KELOWNA (WHL)
CHARLES-EDWARDGRAVEL - G -BLAINVILLE-BOISBRIAND (QMJHL)
KYREN GRONICK - LW - PRINCE GEORGE (WHL)
JORDAN GUSTAFSON - C - SEATTLE (WHL)
JEREMY HANZEL - D - SEATTLE (WHL)
BEN HEMMERLING - RW - EVERETT (WHL)
LANE HINKLEY - D -ACADIE-BATHURST (QMJHL)
BRADEN HOLT - G - EVERETT (WHL)
JAKUB HUJER - C -ROUYN-NORANDA (QMJHL)
BEAU JELSMA - C - BARRIE (OHL)
MATTHEW KIEPER - G - REGINA (WHL)
EGOR KLAVDIEV - C - LETHBRIDGE (WHL)
JOZEF VILIAM KMEC - D - PRINCE GEORGE (WHL)
EVAN KONYEN - RW - SUDBURY (OHL)
KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV - D - SOO (OHL)
ARTEM KULAKOV - D - ERIE (OHL)
NOLAN LALONDE - G - ERIE (OHL)
JEREMY LANGLOIS - D - CAPE BRETON (QMJHL)
ETHAN LARMAND - C - SUDBURY (OHL)
ANDREW LEBLANC - C - KITCHENER (OHL)
JACOB LEBLANC - D - KITCHENER (OHL)
ALEC LEONARD - D - NIAGARA (OHL)
JUSTIN LIES - C - VANCOUVER (WHL)
BRANDON LISOWSKY - LW - SASKATOON (WHL)
YOAN LOSHING - LW - MONCTON (QMJHL)
TNIAS MATHURIN - D - NORTH BAY (OHL)
LOGAN MCCUTCHEON - D - LETHBRIDGE (WHL)
JONATHAN MELEE - C - HAMILTON (OHL)
DANIEL MICHAUD - C - OSHAWA (OHL)
PETR MORAVEC - C -TRI-CITY (WHL)
MAX NAMESTNIKOV - C - SARNIA (OHL)
MARCUS NGUYEN - RW - PORTLAND (WHL)
CEDRICSON OKITUNDU - D - OWEN SOUND (OHL)
SAM OLIVER - C - CHARLOTTETOWN (QMJHL)
JACOB OSTER - G - GUELPH (OHL)
SERVAC PETROVSKY - C - OWEN SOUND (OHL)
OWEN PICKERING - D - SWIFT CURRENT (WHL)
PETER REPCIK - C - LETHBRIDGE (WHL)
TUCKER ROBERTSON - C - PETERBOROUGH (OHL)
AUSTIN ROEST - C - EVERETT (WHL)
STUART ROLOFS - LW - LONDON (OHL)
PIER-OLIVIER ROY - D - VICTORIAVILLE (QMJHL)
SAMUEL SAVOIE - LW - GATINEAU (QMJHL)
TEDDY SAWYER - D - OTTAWA (OHL)
REID SCHAEFER - LW - SEATTLE (WHL)
CHARLIE SCHENKEL - G - SOO (OHL)
BRAYDEN SCHUURMAN - C - VICTORIA (WHL)
MATTHEW SEMINOFF - RW - KAMLOOPS (WHL)
GRAYDEN SIEPMANN - D - CALGARY (WHL)
LANDON SIM - LW - LONDON (OHL)
COLTON SMITH - LW - LONDON (OHL)
BRADY STONEHOUSE - RW - OTTAWA (OHL)
TOMAS SUCHANEK - G -TRI-CITY (WHL)
JAMES SWAN - C - HALIFAX (QMJHL)
GRAHAM SWARD - D - SPOKANE (WHL)
GABRIEL SZTURC - C - KELOWNA (WHL)
JONAS TAIBEL - C - MONCTON (QMJHL)
RYDER THOMPSON - D - PORTLAND (WHL)
KAI UCHACZ - C - RED DEER (WHL)
ZANDER VECCIA - RW - MISSISSAUGA (OHL)
MARKUS VIDICEK - C - HALIFAX (QMJHL)
DALYN WAKELY - C - NORTH BAY (OHL)
MATHEW WARD - C - SWIFT CURRENT (WHL)
NOAH WARREN - D - GATINEAU (QMJHL)
JACE WEIR - D - RED DEER (WHL)
LUKE WOODWORTH - RW - DRUMMONDVILLE (QMJHL)
CHARLIE WRIGHT - D - SASKATOON (WHL)
IVAN ZHYGALOV - G - SHERBROOKE (QMJHL)
Western Hockey League Stories from October 19, 2021
- Three Blazers in NHL Central Scouting Watch List - Kamloops Blazers
- 143 CHL Players to Watch Ahead of 2022 NHL Draft - WHL
- ICE Assign Brandt Young to Portage Terriers - Winnipeg Ice
- Trio of Hurricanes Listed by NHL Central Scouting - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Pink the Rink: A "Thank You" from the Silvertips - Everett Silvertips
- Beaupit and Sward Named to NHL Central Scouting Players to Watch List - Spokane Chiefs
- Four Cougars Named to NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Players to Watch List - Prince George Cougars
- Mateychuk, Firkus & Alarie Named Players to Watch by NHL Central Scouting - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Kieper on NHL Central Scouting's Preliminary Players to Watch List - Regina Pats
- Szturc and Graham Ranked on NHL Central Scouting's Preliminary Players to Watch List - Kelowna Rockets
- 45 WHL Players Named to NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Players to Watch List - WHL
- Three Blades Listed on NHL Central Scouting's "Player to Watch" List - Saskatoon Blades
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