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OHL Flint Firebirds

Bitten Named to NHL Central Scouting Watch List

November 24, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release


Will Bitten of the Flint Firebirds
Will Bitten of the Flint Firebirds
(Flint Firebirds)

Flint's Will Bitten is among 62 players from the Ontario Hockey League that were listed on NHL Central Scouting's November 'Players to Watch' list for the 2016 NHL Draft which takes place June 24-25 in Buffalo, New York.

Bitten is listed as a 'B rating' which indicates a potential second to third round candidate selection. In 22 games played this season, Bitten has recorded 13 goals and 19 assists for a total of 39 points marking him 10th in the OHL in point production. Bitten also represented the OHL in the CHL Canada Russia Series victory on Monday, Nov. 16 in Windsor, Ont.

There are five players on the Flint Firebirds roster that have already been drafted in the National Hockey League. Alex Nedeljkovic and Josh Wesley were both selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2014 NHL Draft. In the same draft, the New Jersey Devils nabbed Connor Chatham while Alex Peters was chosen by the Dallas Stars. Most recently, Vili Saarijärvi was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings this past June in the 2015 NHL Draft.

Also on NHL Central Scouting's November 'Players to Watch' list were 11 OHL skaters that recevied an 'A rating' indicating a first round candidate with a group that includes 2014 OHL Priority Selection first overall pick Jakob Chychrun of the Sarnia Sting, OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters, the London Knights' trio of Max Jones, Olli Juolevi, and Matthew Tkachuk, and the Mississauga Steelheads threesome of Michael McLeod, Alexander Nylander and Nathan Bastian.

"Mississauga has been able to stockpile quite a collection of prospects for both the 2016 and 2017 NHL draft class," NHL Director of Central Scouting Dan Marr told NHL.com's Mike Morreale. "Second-year players McLeod and Bastian continue to develop and contribute while establishing themselves as first-round considerations. Nylander is excelling on the smaller North American ice and the three of these players give Mississauga a uniqueness of having a line of first-round prospects."

The trio of Knights in Tkachuk, Jones and Juolevi have also caught the attention of scouts.

"Tkachuk has elite hockey IQ and vision," NHL Central Scouting's Matt Ryan told nhl.com. "He makes the players around him better and has a very good scoring touch around the net. He plays inside the dots and is willing to go to the hard areas to score goals. He brings a physical element and is able to get under the skin of his opponents."

Fellow Knights newcomer Max Jones is another player that has peaked the interest of NHL Central Scouting.

"Jones is a strong power forward who possesses great speed and acceleration, has a heavy shot and quick hands," Ryan noted. "He loves to drive the net and challenge defenders physically and is a nightmare for defenders below the hash marks in the offensive zone."

Lastly, Knights rearguard Olli Juolevi is one of three OHL defenders to receive an 'A' rating.

"He's a smooth-skating defenseman with poise and composure," Ryan said of Juolevi. "He has the ability to play in every situation."

Elsewhere in the Western Conference, Windsor Spitfires centreman Logan Brown moved up to an 'A' grade after receiving a 'B' back in September's listing. His combination of size and skill has Marr and company paying particular attention.

"Brown is a typical case of bigger players requiring a little more time to develop and he had a slow start which was influenced by injury and suspension," Marr said. "But now he is on top of his game and the results are showing. He moves deceptively well for his size and he knows how to utilize that size to dominate on the play and protect the puck. Logan has such good hands and puck skills for a big forward that he's hard to stop when he's driving to the net."

14 skaters and four goaltenders received a 'B rating' which indicates second/third round candidates, while 31 skaters and two goaltenders received a 'C rating' which indicates fourth/fifth/sixth round NHL Draft candidates.

The Knights lead the way with nine 'Players to Watch' followed by the Steelheads with six players, and the Hamilton Bulldogs, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Windsor Spitfires each with five players listed.

31 OHL players were selected in the 2015 NHL Draft including seven players chosen in the first round.

NHL Central Scouting 'Players to Watch' for the 2016 NHL Draft:

NHL Central Scouting 'Players to Watch' for the 2016 NHL Draft:

A DEBRINCAT ALEXANDER 18-Dec-97 ERIE 5' 7.0" 163 RW R

A RADDYSH TAYLOR 18-Feb-98 ERIE 6' 1.75" 203 RW R

A JONES MAX 17-Feb-98 LONDON 6' 3.0" 205 LW L

A JUOLEVI OLLI 5-May-98 LONDON 6' 2.5" 179 D L

A TKACHUK MATTHEW 11-Dec-97 LONDON 6' 1.25" 195 LW L

A BASTIAN NATHAN 6-Dec-97 MISSISSAUGA 6' 3.75" 208 RW R

A MCLEOD MICHAEL 3-Feb-98 MISSISSAUGA 6' 2.25" 188 C R

A NYLANDER ALEXANDER 2-Mar-98 MISSISSAUGA 6' 0.5" 179 C R

A CHYCHRUN JAKOB 31-Mar-98 SARNIA 6' 2.0" 215 D L

A BROWN LOGAN 5-Mar-98 WINDSOR 6' 6.0" 222 C L

A SERGACHEV MIKHAIL 25-Jun-98 WINDSOR 6' 2.5" 206 D L

B BITTEN WILLIAM 10-Jul-98 FLINT 5' 9.75" 167 C R

B CARROLL NOAH 2-Dec-97 GUELPH 6' 1.0" 178 D L

B BUNNAMAN CONNOR 16-Apr-98 KITCHENER 6' 1.0" 207 C L

B MASCHERIN ADAM 6-Jun-98 KITCHENER 5' 9.5" 206 RW L

B METE VICTOR 7-Jun-98 LONDON 5' 9.5" 174 D L

B PARSONS TYLER 18-Sep-97 LONDON 6' 1.25" 184 G L

B DAY SEAN 9-Jan-98 MISSISSAUGA 6' 2.0" 224 D L

B BARRON TRAVIS 17-Aug-98 OTTAWA 6' 1.25" 195 LW L

B WELLS DYLAN 3-Jan-98 PETERBOROUGH 6' 1.5" 187 G L

B CORMIER EVAN 6-Nov-97 SAGINAW 6' 2.75" 202 G L

B MIDDLETON KEATON 10-Feb-98 SAGINAW 6' 5.5" 233 D L

B NIEMELAINEN MARKUS 8-Jun-98 SAGINAW 6' 4.75" 189 D L

B KYROU JORDAN 5-May-98 SARNIA 6' 0.0" 178 C R

B GETTINGER TIMOTHY 14-Apr-98 SAULT STE. MARIE 6' 5.25" 206 LW L

B KATCHOUK BORIS 18-Jun-98 SAULT STE. MARIE 6' 1.0" 181 LW L

B KOPACKA JACK 5-Mar-98 SAULT STE. MARIE 6' 2.0" 190 LW L

B RAAYMAKERS JOSEPH 17-Mar-98 SAULT STE. MARIE 6' 0.25" 185 G L

B STANLEY LOGAN 26-May-98 WINDSOR 6' 6.75" 220 D L

C MAKSIMOVICH KYLE 10-Mar-98 ERIE 5' 8.5" 172 LW L

C SAMBROOK JORDAN 11-Apr-98 ERIE 6' 1.5" 187 D R

C SMITH GIVANI 27-Feb-98 GUELPH 6' 1.5" 204 LW L

C CANDELLA COLE 13-Feb-98 HAMILTON 6' 1.0" 189 D L

C FOX TRENT 16-Jul-97 HAMILTON 6' 2.75" 200 C L

C GLEASON BENJAMIN 25-Mar-98 HAMILTON 6' 0.0" 168 D L

C KACHYNA ONDREJ 30-Apr-98 HAMILTON 6' 3.5" 192 D L

C SAIGEON BRANDON 14-Jun-98 HAMILTON 6' 1.0" 197 C L

C CHERNYUK KONSTANTIN 13-Feb-98 KINGSTON 6' 4.25" 177 D L

C CRANFORD RYAN 9-Apr-98 KINGSTON 5' 11.75" 189 C R

C CRAWLEY BRANDON 2-Feb-97 LONDON 6' 1.5" 207 D L

C MATTINEN NICHOLAS 5-Mar-98 LONDON 6' 4.5" 220 D R

C PU CLIFF 3-Jun-98 LONDON 6' 1.5" 192 RW R

C VELLA EMANUEL 8-Aug-98 LONDON 6' 4.0" 190 G L

C KUTKEVICIUS LUKE 25-Mar-98 MISSISSAUGA 5' 11.75" 162 C L

C OSMANSKI AUSTIN 30-Apr-98 MISSISSAUGA 6' 3.25" 196 D L

C DHILLON STEPHEN 14-Sep-98 NIAGARA 6' 3.75" 182 G L

C PAQUETTE CHRISTOPHER 27-Mar-98 NIAGARA 6' 1.25" 207 C R

C DINEEN CAM 19-Jun-98 NORTH BAY 5' 11.0" 183 D L

C POIRIER ZACHARY 12-May-98 NORTH BAY 5' 11.75" 193 C R

C FALKOVSKY STEPAN 18-Dec-96 OTTAWA 6' 7.0" 224 D L

C RYMSHA DRAKE 6-Aug-98 OTTAWA 5' 11.5" 187 C R

C SALITURO DANTE 15-Nov-96 OTTAWA 5' 8.25" 178 C R

C ANG JONATHAN 31-Jan-98 PETERBOROUGH 5' 11.25" 165 C R

C FELHABER TYE 5-Aug-98 SAGINAW 5' 10.75" 191 C L

C SALINITRI ANTHONY 5-Mar-98 SARNIA 5' 10.25" 168 C L

C SCHLICHTING CONNOR 17-May-97 SARNIA 6' 3.25" 207 D L

C VERBEEK HAYDEN 17-Oct-97 SAULT STE. MARIE 5' 9.25" 177 C R

C LYSZCZARCZYK ALAN 17-Feb-98 SUDBURY 5' 10.25" 184 C L

C PEZZETTA MICHAEL 13-Mar-98 SUDBURY 6' 1.0" 204 C L

C SOKOLOV DMITRY 14-Apr-98 SUDBURY 5' 11.25" 220 RW L

C CARTER COLE 6-Jul-98 WINDSOR 5' 9.0" 155 RW R

C KIRWAN LUKE 23-Sep-97 WINDSOR 6' 1.75" 230 LW L

LV TIMPANO TROY 13-Nov-97 SUDBURY 6' 0.5" 186 G L

For more information including full 'Players to Watch' lists visit nhl.com .

Written with files from Mike Morreale at nhl.com .

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Will Bitten of the Flint Firebirds
Will Bitten of the Flint Firebirds
   



Ontario Hockey League Stories from November 24, 2015


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