162 CHL Players to Watch for 2017 NHL Draft

162 players from the Canadian Hockey League were listed among NHL Central Scouting’s October ‘Players to Watch’ list for the 2017 NHL Draft which takes place June 23-24 in Chicago, Ill.

The 162 players includes 76 from the Ontario Hockey League, 52 from the Western Hockey League, and 34 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

13 skaters and one goaltender received an ‘A rating’ which indicates a first round candidate.

Each league had ‘A’ ranked representatives, with the OHL and WHL each featuring six and the QMJHL including two in Victoriaville Tigres centre Maxime Comtois and Halifax Mooseheads forward Nico Hischier.

The OHL’s top ranked talent included the Mississauga Steelheads duo of Owen Tippett and defenceman Nicolas Hague, the Hamilton Bulldogs forward pair of Matthew Strome and MacKenzie Entwistle, Windsor Spitfires centreman Gabriel Vilardi and Erie Otters forward Ivan Lodnia.

The WHL’s ‘A’ ranked talent includes Brandon Wheat Kings centreman Nolan Patrick, Spokane Chiefs winger Kailer Yamamoto, the Tri-City Americans duo of Michael Rasmussen and defenceman Juuso Valimaki, Kelowna Rockets rearguard Cal Foote and Lethbridge Hurricanes goaltender Stuart Skinner.

Patrick, who is widely considered the CHL’s top draft prospect, earned high praise from Director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr.

“Patrick is as complete an NHL package as you are going to find,” he told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. “From his pedigree, his skills and assets, to his performance impact to date, he has everything any NHL team is looking for in a top prospect.”

Marr also complimented Victoriaville’s Maxime Comtois, a 6-foot-2, 201-pound sophomore who put up 60 points (26-34–60) over 62 games as a rookie last season.

“Comtois is the top prospect in the QMJHL and one of the more skilled prospects for the draft,” he said. “In addition to him being an offensive threat in every situation, what makes him intriguing is his compete level, which is always hard and smart.”

40 skaters and four goaltenders received a ‘B rating’ which indicates second/third round candidates while 90 skaters and 14 goaltenders received a ‘C rating’ which indicates fourth/fifth/sixth round candidates.

The Guelph Storm, Halifax Mooseheads, North Bay Battalion and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds led the CHL with six players ranked from their respective clubs.

96 CHL players were selected in the 2016 NHL Draft including 15 players chosen in the first round.

162 CHL ‘Players to Watch’ for the 2017 NHL Draft

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