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147 CHL Players on NHL Central Scouting's Midterm Rankings

January 12, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL) News Release


TORONTO, ON - The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced today that 147 CHL players have been listed in NHL Central Scouting's Midterm Rankings ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft (click here to see the full list), which is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada from June 28-29.

Of the 147 CHL players listed, which represents the most of any hockey development league in the world, the Western Hockey League (WHL) led the way with 60 players including 52 skaters and eight goaltenders. They were followed by the 53 players from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) who had 48 skaters and five goaltenders. Meanwhile, the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) rounded out the CHL contingent with 34 players ranked including 30 skaters and four goaltenders.

Specifically, the rankings list a total of 224 North American skaters, including 130 from the CHL. NHL Central Scouting also ranks 32 North American goaltenders highlighted by 17 netminders that currently compete in the CHL.

Leading the way among CHL skaters was Medicine Hat Tigers forward Cayden Lindstrom, who came in at No. 3 and was the second-highest ranked forward on the list. Lindstrom, who remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, leads Medicine Hat with 27 goals and nine power-play goals, and he has 46 points in 32 games this season. The other 11 forwards joining Lindstrom in the top-25 include Berkly Catton of the Spokane Chiefs (9th), Tij Iginla of the Kelowna Rockets (11th), Liam Greentree of the Windsor Spitfires (12th), Adam Jecho of the Edmonton Oil Kings (13th), Terik Parascak of the Prince George Cougars (14th), Beckett Sennecke of the Oshawa Generals (15th), Ryder Ritchie of the Prince Albert Raiders (16th), Andrew Basha of the Medicine Hat Tigers (18th), Jett Luchanko of the Guelph Storm (21st), Marek Vanacker of the Brantford Bulldogs (25th), along with Maxim Massé of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens (23rd) who was the 2022-23 CHL Rookie of the Year and the top-ranked skater from the QMJHL on NHL Central Scouting's list.

In terms of defenceman, there were three from the CHL ranked in the top-10, led by Carter Yakemchuk of the Calgary Hitmen (6th), whose 40 points and 16 goals trail only Zayne Parekh of the Saginaw Spirit (10th) among 2024 NHL Draft eligible blueliners in the CHL. The other rearguards to join Yakemchuk in the top-10 were Parekh and Sam Dickinson of the London Knights (7th), who has registered 20 points (7G-13A) in 11 games since December 10, the most of any defenceman in the CHL over that stretch.

Additionally, of the 17 North American goalies from the CHL ranked by NHL Central Scouting, Carter George of the Owen Sound Attack and Ryerson Leenders of the Mississauga Steelheads were ranked first and third respectively on the list. Among the others, there was also Dawson Cowan of the Spokane Chiefs (5th) and Lukas Matecha of the Tri-City Americans (9th) who both will particate in the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game along with Carter and Leenders. Ranked at No. 7, Zach Pelletier of the Gatineau Olympiques was the top-ranked goalie from the QMJHL.

All 40 of the CHL players who will participate in the Kubota 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, which is scheduled on Wednesday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m. AT, are found in the NHL Central Scouting's Midterm Rankings, including 27 of the top-40 North American skaters and three of the top-five ranked netminders.

The Mississauga Steelheads lead all CHL teams with seven players included in the rankings, while the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Calgary Hitmen, and Windsor Spitfires trail close behind with five each. Teams with four ranked players include the Everett Silvertips, Medicine Hat Tigers, Red Deer Rebels, Edmonton Oil Kings, Kingston Frontenacs, Guelph Storm, Moncton Wildcats, Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Rimouski Océanic.

The CHL continues to be the top supplier of talent in the NHL. Last season, 139 CHL players appeared in the Midterm Rankings, before 80 CHL players were selected (accounting for nearly 36% of all draft picks) at the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville. The latter included 11 first-round selections from the CHL. Dating back to 1969, the CHL has seen 10 or more of its players taken in the first round of the NHL Draft - a streak that now runs at 55 consecutive drafts.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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