CHL Eye on Awards: Rookie of the Year
As the CHL season enters its stretch drive, the race continues to see who will claim the Wawanesa Rookie of the Year Award, recognizing the league’s top freshman. While recent weeks have created some separation in the pack, it promises to be an exciting finish among the top contenders, including three WHL skaters, three QMJHLers, and four OHL first-years:
Brayden Tracey (Moose Jaw, WHL) – 58 GP, 31 G, 42 A, 73 P
The Warriors left winger leads the pack with 73 points on the season, but that’s not the only category where Tracey tops the charts. Among freshmen, the Calgary, Alta., native leads the entire CHL circuit with 11 power-play goals and 10 game winners. Tracey claimed CHL Player of the Week honours this month and is currently riding a six-game point streak in which he has tallied seven goals and eight assists for 15 points. He’s also picked up at least one point in 13 of his past 14 appearances. Tracey’s top performance came earlier this month when he netted his first career hat-trick and added an assist for a four-point night against the Medicine Hat Tigers. Selected 21st in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft, the gifted forward is once again drawing the attention of talent hawks as he was ranked 73rd among North Americans in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm assessment.
Cole Perfetti (Saginaw, OHL) – 54 GP, 30 G, 32 A, 62 P
The first-year Spirit left-wing has climbed the ranks this season, powered by a strong second half, which has seen him pot 32 points in the 23 games since the calendar turned to 2019. Perfetti’s 30 goals rank second among all CHL rookie and just one shy of Moose Jaw’s Brayden Tracey. He also sits one back of fellow forward Cole Coskey as Saginaw’s leading point getter. Perfetti is currently riding a four-game point streak, which has seen him collect six goals and three assists for nine points. He’s also picked up at least one point in 12 of his past 13 games, including 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points, rewarding the Saginaw scouts who selected him fifth in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. Eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft, the Whitby, Ont., native will continue to attract the attention of talent evaluators over the coming season.
Marco Rossi (Ottawa, OHL) – 44 GP, 25 G, 32 A, 57 P
Look for offensive creativity when the 67’s rookie is on the ice, as he sits second among CHL rookies with a plus-44 rating and just five back of top spot. The Austrian centre, who was taken 18th by Ottawa in last year’s CHL Import Draft, is excelling in his first OHL season after playing in Switzerland a year ago. Rossi’s most impressive stretch this season came in mid-January when he accumulated a nine-game point streak covering 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points, ending with a four-point effort against the Niagara IceDogs. Rossi is eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft.
Egor Serdyuk (Victoriaville, QMJHL) – 55 GP, 23 G, 33 A, 56 P
The Russian right-wing has made an immediate impact with the Tigres as he leads the team in scoring in his first season while also standing atop all QMJHL rookies. Serdyuk posted an eight-game point streak through early February which saw him collect 12 points, including five goals and seven assists, while he’s also notched at least one point in nine of his past 10 outings, totaling 14 points. Against the Saint John Sea Dogs in early November, he finished with a career-high two goals and two assists, including the game-winning tally. Serdyuk is primed for this year’s NHL Draft and sits 74th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings.
Quinton Byfield (Sudbury, OHL) – 55 GP, 26 G, 29 A, 55 P
A projected top pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Byfield has already lived up to his initial draft hype when he was taken with the top pick in last year’s OHL Priority Selection. The Newmarket, Ont., product made an immediate impact in the junior ranks, picking up one goal and one assist in his first-ever game, a win against the Guelph Storm. The budding centre is producing at a point-per-game pace and leads the Wolves in scoring this season. It’s been a productive February for Byfield, who in 12 games this month has notched eight goals and eight assists for 16 points.
Jacob Perreault (Sarnia, OHL) – 56 GP, 28 G, 24 A, 52 P
The Sting right-wing is making noise in his first junior season, especially on the man advantage, where his seven power-play goals sit tied for first among OHL rookies. The son of former NHLer and QMJHL graduate Yanic Perreault drew attention as he closed out 2018 with a 10-game point streak where he notched a combined 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points, including a season-high four-point night against the Owen Sound Attack where he tallied two goals and two assists. The Illinois native and dual citizen of Canada was selected 19th in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. Perreault will once again be on scouting lists when the 2020 NHL Draft arrives.
Adam Beckman (Spokane, WHL) – 57 GP, 26 G, 24 A, 50 P
The Chiefs left-wing has been a steady producer through his first season in the WHL, where he’s potted an impressive 26 goals to trail only Moose Jaw forward Brayden Tracey for the league lead. The Saskatoon, Sask., native has been a force through 11 games in February, claiming 13 points, including seven goals and six assists. His season-high performance came in mid-December when he registered four points, including the game-winning assist in overtime against the Seattle Thunderbirds. The first-year forward is among the top-ranked rookies in the CHL this season, as he was recently slotted 44th among North Americans in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm report.
Andrej Kukuca (Seattle, WHL) – 53 GP, 23 G, 26 A, 49 P
The Thunderbirds freshman is skating in his first season in North America after spending last year in his native Slovakia, but has needed little time to adapt to his new surroundings as he sits third in both Seattle team scoring and among WHL rookies. The dynamic right-winger, selected 29th in the 2018 CHL Import Draft, has cranked up the offense in the season’s second half, including a strong February where he has notched 11 goals and three assists for 14 points in his last 12 outings. The 19-year-old is eligible for this year’s NHL Draft.
Jordan Spence (Moncton, QMJHL) – 60 GP, 5 G, 42 A, 47 P
Spence’s unbalanced stat line is evidence of a budding playmaker, as the Wildcats blue-liner has demonstrated plenty of ability to create offense from the back end – his 42 assists sit tied for first in the entire CHL circuit alongside Moose Jaw rookie Brayden Tracey. The native of Prince Edward Island has provided immediate dividends for Moncton, including seven points, counting two goals and five assists, in his last seven contests. It’s that sort of production that makes Spence an intriguing possibility for scouting staffs – he’s ranked 70th among North American skaters for the upcoming NHL Draft.
Mikhail Abramov (Victoriaville, QMJHL) – 54 GP, 11 G, 34 A, 45 P
The Russian centre hasn’t been shy of the scoresheet in his first season on North American ice, as he sits third in Tigres scoring and just 11 points back of teammate and fellow rookie Egor Serdyuk for the team lead. In January, Abramov was a deadly producer, as he recorded three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 13 games, including six points in a seven-game stretch. Abramov remains a focal point for talent evaluators and was recently ranked 58th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s midterms.