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WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Four Wheat Kings Named to 2025 NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings

January 14, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Brandon, MB - Four Brandon Wheat Kings, and a total of Sixty-six Western Hockey League players have been listed by NHL Central Scouting in the agency's Midterm Rankings ahead of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

The latest rankings were released on Tuesday morning.

Brandon Wheat Kings forward Roger McQueen was the highest ranking Wheat King, listed as #5. Carter Klippenstein was next at #121, closely followed by one of the newest Wheat Kings, Jordan Gavin at #123. Joby Baumuller rounded out the Wheat Kings portion of the list at #146.

Six WHL skaters were ranked in the top 20 among North American skaters, including Roger McQueen (Brandon Wheat Kings), Radim Mrtka (Seattle Thunderbirds), Jackson Smith (Tri-City Americans), Carter Bear (Everett Silvertips), 2024 WHL Champion Lynden Lakovic (Moose Jaw Warriors) and Benjamin Kindel (Calgary Hitmen).

Prince George Cougars standout Joshua Ravensbergen has been ranked the top North American goaltender, while Ondrej Stebetak (Portland Winterhawks) is sixth.

Recent WHL signees Dominik Pavlik (Moose Jaw Warriors) and Max Psenicka (Portland Winterhawks) are listed among the top International Skaters ahead of their WHL debuts.

Twenty WHL clubs are represented in the Midterm Rankings. The Kelowna Rockets, Moose Jaw Warriors and Red Deer Rebels lead the pack with five ranked players each, while the Brandon Wheat Kings, Portland Winterhawks, Prince George Cougars, Swift Current Broncos, Tri-City Americans and Vancouver Giants all have four. Six WHL teams have three players ranked- the Calgary Hitmen, Edmonton Oil Kings, Everett Silvertips, Medicine Hat Tigers, Seattle Thunderbirds and the Spokane Chiefs.

The list includes 11 WHL players invited to compete at the first-ever CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada (Roger McQueen was invited but unable to participate due to injury). Lakovic and Cameron Schmidt (Vancouver Giants) each scored a goal and an assist in the two-game series, which the CHL swept. Cole Reschny (Victoria Royals) scored the game-winner in Game 2 and Kindel and Ravensbergen added an assist each at the event.

A total of 38 WHL forwards are listed, in addition to 21 defencemen and seven goaltenders.

Across the Canadian Hockey League, 174 players are listed, narrowly led by the Ontario Hockey League with 67, the WHL with 66 and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with 41.

2024-25 NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings- WHL Skaters

Rank Last Name First Name Hometown Team Height Weight Position

5 McQueen Roger Saskatoon, Sask. Brandon 6'5.25 197 C

6 Mrtka Radim Havlickuv, Cze. Seattle 6'5.75 207 D

9 Smith Jackson Calgary, Alta. Tri-City 6'3.25 195 D

11 Bear Carter West St. Paul, Man. Everett 6'0 179 LW

12 Lakovic Lynden West Kelowna, B.C. Moose Jaw 6'4.25 190 LW

20 Kindel Benjamin Coquitlam, B.C. Calgary 5'10 176 C

21 Cootes Braeden Sherwood Park, Alta. Seattle 5'11.25 183 C

24 Fiddler Blake Frisco, Tex. Edmonton 6'4 209 D

26 Kettles Peyton Winnipeg, Man. Swift Current 6'5.25 190 D

30 Schmidt Cameron Prince George, B.C. Vancouver 5'7.25 161 RW

31 Behm Nathan Calgary, Alta. Kamloops 6'1.5 192 RW

34 Reschny Cole Macklin, Sask. Victoria 5'10.5 183 C

42 Gard Matthew Winnipeg, Man. Red Deer 6'4.75 192 C

48 Paupanekis Hayden Winnipeg, Man. Kelowna 6'4.25 196 C

52 Lewandowski David Dusseldorf, Ger. Saskatoon 6'1.25 177 LW

65 Sharpe Will Ladner, B.C. Kelowna 6'0 195 D

69 Martin Owen Oakbank, Man. Spokane 5'11.75 185 C

70 Lajoie Jett Winnipeg, Man. Prince George 5'11.5 178 RW

72 Mistelbacher Luke Steinbach, Man. Swift Current 5'11.75 196 RW

73 Pickford Bryce Chauvin, Alta. Medicine Hat 6'0.25 183 D

74 Hamilton Reese Whitewood, Sask. Regina 6'0 172 D

81 Gorzynski Brandon Scottsdale, Ariz. Calgary 6'1.5 185 C

86 Lafreniere Tommy Hornby Island, B.C. Kamloops 5'11 172 RW

101 McCann Kadon Cochrane, Alta. Medicine Hat 6'3 200 C

109 Vlooswyk Luke Calgary, Alta. Red Deer 6'4.5 200 D

111 McGregor Josh Brandon, Man. Swift Current 6'1.25 170 D

118 Miller Ryan Medicine Hat, Alta. Portland 5'11.75 177 C

119 Sawchyn Lukas Grande Prairie, Alta. Edmonton 5'9.75 168 LW

121 Klippenstein Carter Lethbridge, Alta. Brandon 6'2.5 180 C

122 Garland Gavin Calgary, Alta. Tri-City 5'9.5 183 RW

123 Gavin Jordan Surrey, B.C. Brandon 5'11 187 LW

125 Sarkenov Asanali Astana, Kaz. Spokane 6'3.5 203 RW

130 Burzynski Grayson Winnipeg, Man. Swift Current 6'3.5 212 D

131 Schoettler Owen Edmonton, Alta. Spokane 6'0 181 D

134 Foster Aiden Lloydminster, Alta. Prince George 6'2 182 C

135 Gerwing Dawson Meadow Lake, Sask. Kelowna 6'3 225 LW

142 Bridgeman Kolten Regina, Sask. Regina 6'4 216 D

143 Degenstein Noah Airdrie, Alta. Moose Jaw 6'3.75 206 C

144 Mayes Sawyer Salmon Arm, B.C. Seattle 6'4 188 C

146 Baumuller Joby Wilcox, Sask. Brandon 5'11.25 188 RW

147 Woo Jonas Winnipeg, Man. Medicine Hat 5'8.75 165 D

150 Obobaifo Aaron Calgary, Alta. Vancouver 5'9.5 183 LW

160 Koch Cassius Calgary, Alta. Tri-City 5'11.25 197 LW

163 MacKenzie Ethan Peachland, B.C. Edmonton 6'0 174 D

169 Busch Shea North Vancouver, B.C. Everett 6'1.75 208 LW

170 Fuder Jaxon Cold Lake, Alta. Red Deer 6'0 166 C

173 Temple Cole Brandon, Man. Everett 5'9.25 166 C

174 Riche Ben Bethune, Sask. Prince George 5'9.5 179 C

191 Buttazzoni Diego Langley, B.C. Portland 5'9 183 LW

192 Thurston Derek Delta, B.C. Red Deer 6'0.75 190 D

195 Coupland Ty North Vancouver, B.C. Red Deer 5'10.25 165 C

196 Leslie Mazden Lloydminster, Alta. Vancouver 6'0.25 200 D

206 Schmidt Connor Sturgeon County, Alta. Moose Jaw 5'11.25 180 D

214 Gudelj Jake Vancouver, B.C. Tri-City 6'1.75 198 C

221 Ziprick Aiden Russell, Man. Moose Jaw 6'0.5 190 D

223 Corbet Nate Calgary, Alta. Kelowna 6'1 171 D

224 Kachkowski Jack St. Albert, Alta. Saskatoon 5'11.75 176 D

2024-25 NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings - International Skaters

Rank Last Name First Name Hometown Team Height Weight Position

8 Psenicka Max Prague, Cze. Portland 6'4 176 D

60 Pavlik Dominik Trutnov, Cze. Moose Jaw 6'0.75 197 C

2024-25 NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings - WHL Goaltenders

Rank Last Name First Name Hometown Team Height Weight Position

1 Ravensbergen Joshua North Vancouver, B.C. Prince George 6'5.25 190 G

6 Stebetak Ondrej Jihlava, Cze. Portland 6'1.5 173 G

11 Kraus Jayden Prince Albert, Sask. Victoria 6'1.5 201 G

16 Cleaver Koen Port Alberni, B.C. Lethbridge 6'1.5 188 G

19 Miller Anders Anchorage, Alaska Calgary 6'2 190 G

23 Pilon Jake Calgary, Alta. Kelowna 6'4.25 210 G

25 Hood Burke Brandon, Man. Vancouver 6'2.75 197 G

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