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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Three Winterhawks Named to NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings

January 13, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


Regina, Sask. - The Portland Winterhawks Hockey Club is proud to share that three current players were recognized today on the NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term Rankings ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. The draft is set to take place from June 28-29, 2023 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

Defenseman Luca Cagnoni garners the team's highest skater ranking, getting recognized as the #34 North American prospect. Fellow defenseman Carter Sotheran receives the #89 ranking and Jan Špunar collects a #11 ranking among North American goaltenders.

Cagnoni, 18, currently ranks ninth among Western Hockey League defensemen with 34 points in 37 games. His nine goals are also sixth most among WHL blueliners and he's taken 135 shots, which is second-most among players at his position. The Winterhawks' reigning Rookie of the Year produced 14 of his 34 points in ten December games. Cagnoni has 73 points in 110 career WHL games and has the opportunity this summer to add to Portland's league-leading totals by becoming the 147th Winterhawk selected in the NHL Draft.

The Burnaby, B.C. native previously earned a 'B rating' on the initial Central Scouting list, which projected him as a potential 2nd- or 3rd-round draft pick.

Sotheran, 17, leads all first-year WHL defensemen with 17 points in 37 games. He scored his first career WHL goal on Oct. 29 against the Kelowna Rockets and has steadily produced points for the Hawks, while also bringing grit and a physical edge to his game. The 6-foot-4, 201-pound rear end from Sanford, Man. has produced three multi-point games this season.

Originally selected by the Winterhawks in the fifth round of the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, Sotheran spent the 2021-22 season as alternate captain of the Pembina Valley Hawks U18 AAA team before cracking the Winterhawks lineup in the fall and dressing in every game so far this year. Last season, he led his team's defensemen in scoring with 54 points in 41 games and was named a Canadian Elite Hockey League Western Region All-Star.

Špunar, 17, rounds out the Winterhawk notables with a #11 ranking. He sits tenth in the league with a 2.61 goals-against-average (GAA) and his 11 wins are fifth best among WHL rookie netminders. Through 15 games, the Olomouc, Czechia native holds a sterling 11-2-0-1 record with a .907 save percentage (SV%). Špunar is heating up as the Winterhawks enter the second half of their season, allowing two or fewer in four of his last six starts and making a career-high 40 saves on Dec. 16 against the Vancouver Giants.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound goaltender is playing in his first season in the Rose City after being selected in the first round, #52 overall, of the 2022 CHL Import Draft. He comes to Portland from his hometown HC Olomouc U20 team, where he went 22-8-0-0 record with a 2.57 GAA and .911 SV%. Špunar has also represented Czechia at the Under-16, Under-17, Under-18 and Under-20 levels of competition, most recently competing at the 2022 Four Nations Tournament and the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

All three Winterhawks were previously recognized on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary rankings released in October.

2022-23 NHL Central Scouting Mid-Season Rankings - Winterhawks Prospects

Additionally, three unsigned Portland prospects appeared on the list, highlighted by Winterhawks 2020 second-round WHL Prospects Draft selection Jayden Perron.

Rank Last Name First Name Hometown Team Height Weight Position

5 Musser Carsen Sherburn, MN USNTDP U18 6'4" 215 G

28 Perron Jayden Winnipeg, Man. Chicago Steel (USHL) 5'9" 163 C

93 Weiermaier Alex Los Angeles, CA USNTDP U18 6'0" 190 C

2022-23 NHL Central Scouting Mid-Season Rankings - WHL Players

In total, 51 WHL players were named on the midterm rankings. The complete list of ranked WHL skaters and goalies follows below.

North American Skaters

Rank Last Name First Name Hometown Team Height Weight Position

1 Bedard Connor North Vancouver, B.C. Regina Pats 5'10" 185 C

5 Yager Brayden Saskatoon, Sask. Moose Jaw Warriors 5'11" 166 C

7 Benson Zach Chilliwack, B.C. Winnipeg ICE 5'9" 160 LW

9 Honzek Samuel Trencin, Slovakia Vancouver Giants 6'4" 186 LW

12 Dragicevic Lukas Richmond, B.C. Tri-City Americans 6'1" 192 D

13 Danielson Nate Red Deer, Alta. Brandon Wheat Kings 6'1" 185 C

16 Cristall Andrew Burnaby, B.C. Kelowna Rockets 5'10" 167 LW

20 Ziemmer Koehn Mayerthorpe, Alta. Prince George Cougars 6'0" 204 RW

23 Lind Kalan Shaunavon, Sask. Red Deer Rebels 6'0" 158 LW

26 Heidt Riley Saskatoon, Sask. Prince George Cougars 5'11" 182 C

30 Price Caden Saskatoon, Sask. Kelowna Rockets 6'0" 186 D

34 Cagnoni Luca Burnaby, B.C. Portland Winterhawks 5'9" 180 D

36 Molendyk Tanner McBride, B.C. Saskatoon Blades 5'11" 184 D

38 Lipinski Jaden Scottsdale, Ariz. Vancouver Giants 6'4" 208 C

42 Sawchyn Gracyn Grande Prairie, Alta. Seattle Thunderbirds 5'11" 157 C

47 Myatovic Nico Prince George, B.C. Seattle Thunderbirds 6'2" 182 LW

60 Levis Connor Vancouver, B.C. Kamloops Blazers 6'2" 189 RW

61 Halaburda Ty Victoria, B.C. Vancouver Giants 5'11" 178 C

80 Leslie Mazden Lloydminster, Alta. Vancouver Giants 6'0" 193 D

83 Roest Austin Coldstream, B.C. Everett Silvertips 5'10" 175 C

86 Sidorov Egor Vitebsk, Belarus Saskatoon Blades 6'0" 182 RW

89 Sotheran Carter Sanford, Man. Portland Winterhawks 6'3" 197 D

95 Hammell Kaden Langley, B.C. Everett Silvertips 6'1" 173 D

97 Weinstein Saige Edmonton, Alta. Spokane Chiefs 6'0" 179 D

111 Mynio Sawyer Kamloops, B.C. Seattle Thunderbirds 6'1" 173 D

113 Parker Kalem Clavet, Sask. Victoria Royals 6'0" 192 D

130 Uchacz Kai De Winton, Alta. Red Deer Rebels 6'2" 194 RW

138 Siepmann Grayden Abbotsford, B.C. Calgary Hitmen 5'10" 185 D

144 De Luca Tommaso Aosta, Italy Spokane Chiefs 5'11" 178 C

147 Chadwick Noah Saskatoon, Sask. Lethbridge Hurricanes 6'4" 187 D

153 Mantei Quinn Weyburn, Sask. Brandon Wheat Kings 6'0" 180 D

157 Port Vojtech Jihlava, Czechia Edmonton Oil Kings 6'2" 168 D

160 Wormald Logan Langley, B.C. Lethbridge Hurricanes 5'10" 144 LW

173 Semeniuk Ethan Fort St. John, B.C. Vancouver Giants 5'11" 175 RW

179 Miller Cole Edmonton, Alta. Edmonton Oil Kings 6'4" 174 C

181 Szturc Gabriel Cesky Tesin, Czechia Kelowna Rockets 5'11" 186 C

183 Valis Borya Denver, Colo. Regina Pats 6'1" 182 RW

201 Tulk Oliver Gibsons, B.C. Calgary Hitmen 5'7" 170 C

202 Goldsmith Terrell Fort St. James, B.C. Prince Albert Raiders 6'4" 223 D

203 Sloan Jake Leduc, Alta. Tri-City Americans 6'3" 216 C

215 Fabrizi Matteo St. Albert, Alta. Red Deer Rebels 6'5" 238 D

217 Lodewyk Harrison Red Deer, Alta. Prince Albert Raiders 5'10" 185 LW

North American Goaltenders

Rank Last Name First Name Hometown Team Height Weight Position

1 Bjarnason Carson Carberry, Man. Brandon Wheat Kings 6'3" 186 G

6 Ratzlaff Scott Irma, Alta. Seattle Thunderbirds 6'1" 175 G

8 Suchanek Tomas Olomouc, Czechia Tri-City Americans 6'1" 180 G

11 Špunar Jan Olomouc, Czechia Portland Winterhawks 6'3" 185 G

15 Ernst Dylan Weyburn, Sask. Kamloops Blazers 6'2" 196 G

17 Unger Jackson Calgary, Alta. Moose Jaw Warriors 6'1" 190 G

20 Metzger Tim Zurich, Switzerland Everett Silvertips 6'5" 192 G

25 Milic Thomas Coquitlam, B.C. Seattle Thunderbirds 6'0" 179 G

27 Meneghin Harrison Surrey, B.C. Lethbridge Hurricanes 6'3" 164 G

In its 48th year of operation, NHL Central Scouting provides evaluation and scouting of draft-eligible players to NHL member clubs. Headed by Director of Central Scouting Dan Marr, NHL Central Scouting employs eight full-time scouts throughout North America.

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Join us for a record-breaking Where's Waldo night on Friday, January 20. Help us break the world record for 'largest gathering of people dressed as Waldo' - currently set at 4,626. Keep Portland Weird and get your tickets now.

Then, keep the energy going for Sippin' Saturday (a free beer and cider tasting night) on January 21 and the first-ever Kids Day Game at noon on Monday, January 23.

Single-game tickets are now on sale for the 2022-23 season.

Check out the Portland Winterhawks Statistics

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