CHL Prospect Pipeline – Carolina Hurricanes
Introducing the CHL Prospect Pipeline presented by Kubota, the premiere feature highlighting current CHL talent that has been drafted or signed by each of the National Hockey League’s 32 teams.
Carolina Hurricanes
Seth Jarvis
A draft year riser, the Portland Winterhawks centre put together a terrific sophomore campaign highlighted by a CHL-leading 59-point improvement as he ultimately wrapped up the season with 42 goals and 56 assists across 58 appearances, good for second place in league scoring and a spot on the WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team. After beginning the season as a projected top-90 selection in the 2020 NHL Draft class, the Winnipeg native climbed the ranks to hear his name called 13th overall by Carolina. In the ensuing months, Jarvis got a taste of the pro ranks, seeing nine games with the Hurricanes’ AHL squad where he scored above a point-per-game in recording seven goals and four assists before returning to the Winterhawks for the abbreviated 2020-21 WHL campaign. There, the 19-year-old continued to flash his intriguing potential in driving home 15 goals with 12 assists over the 24-game slate. In all, Jarvis’ WHL career has totaled 154 contests in which he has shown himself to be an offensive force to the tune of 73 goals and 93 assists, while also earning recognition with accolades like the 2019-20 Brad Hornung Trophy, presented to the league’s most sportsmanlike player.
And we can't wait to see what this kid has in store pic.twitter.com/dhRQoJ92XQ
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 7, 2020
Blake Murray
Inking his entry-level contract with the Hurricanes earlier this week, the Sudbury Wolves left-wing had a breakout campaign in 2019-20, marking a 22-point improvement from the prior season as he concluded the year well above a point-per-game with 35 goals and 37 assists coming in 63 outings. One of just 17 OHL skaters to find the back of the net 35 or more times last season, the Uxbridge, Ont., native is a gifted goal scorer who over three campaigns has lit the lamp 86 times while also adding 80 assists through his 186 total appearances, living up to his billing as the seventh overall pick from the 2018 OHL Priority Selection and projected as a good value pick by the Hurricanes in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Draft. More recently, with the OHL shuttered for 2020-21, the 19-year-old Murray tried his hand at the pro ranks, suiting up for 16 contests with Sweden’s third-tier Surahammars IF in which he collected seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points to rank fifth in team scoring.
🚨 @blakemurray92 the 4th Sudbury Wolves' NHL drafted player to sign an entry-level contract in the last eight months! 🚨
“Scoring goals is the hardest thing to do and Blake does it extremely well.” – Rob Papineau (VP & GM)
🔥 Read MORE 👇👇👇👇 https://t.co/tcT0c1aMAp pic.twitter.com/azgEhhqoqA— Sudbury Wolves (@Sudbury_Wolves) May 24, 2021
Vasily Ponomarev
Chosen ninth overall in the 2019 CHL Import Draft, the Russian centre has lived up to his billing with the Shawinigan Cataractes, first putting together a successful 57-game rookie season that counted 18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points, good for third in team scoring and fifth-best among freshmen league-wide. On the international stage, Ponomarev has also been an offensive force, first by helping Russia to a gold-medal victory at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in which he ranked second in team scoring with six points in five games. Not yet finished, Ponomarev was back with his Russian counterparts at the 2021 World Juniors where he led his squad in the goals column with three tallies. A second-round selection by the Hurricanes in the 2020 NHL Draft, Ponomarev then returned to Shawinigan this year where he once again impressed in producing north of a point-per-game with 10 goals and 28 assists across 33 contests. Ponomarev, 19, landed an entry-level contract with Carolina last October.
Signed!
53rd overall selection Vasiliy Ponomarev has inked a 3-year, entry-level contract with the #Canes
Details » https://t.co/KiKLyr4b2z pic.twitter.com/9C2XP5yR5Q
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 13, 2020
Jamieson Rees
Bringing high offensive skill that is matched by his compete level, the 2001-born Sarnia Sting centre was chosen by Carolina in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft following an exciting second season with Sarnia that, despite being limited to 37 showings, was enough to display his offensive potential as he potted 10 goals and 22 assists along the way. The following year, the Hamilton native then took another stride, where again following an abbreviated showing of just 39 contests he reached new offensive heights in finishing fourth in team scoring with 61 points. The ninth-overall pick from the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, Rees has also had success with Team Canada as he helped the Great White North to a gold-medal finish at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he picked up four points in five games. Signing his entry-level agreement with the Hurricanes in December, Rees spent the ensuing months on loan with Carolina’s top minor-league affiliate where his 29-game showing totaled 14 points.
BREAKING: Jamieson Rees (@_jamiesonrees) has signed his three year entry-level contract with the @Canes!
Congrats, JR! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/w9ES6dDhvT
— Sarnia Sting (@StingHockey) December 30, 2020
Ronan Seeley
A late-round selection in the most recent NHL Draft, Seeley has skated the past three seasons with the Everett Silvertips, showing to be a physical defender who continues to round out his scoring touch. Originally chosen 20th overall by the Silvertips in the 2017 WHL Draft, the Olds, Alta., native then headed to Everett for the 2018-19 campaign where he posted a modest nine points on the year. Seeley then took impressive steps as a sophomore, seeing a 23-point improvement to finish third in scoring among Silvertips rearguards. The 18-year-old defender then reached another level in the WHL’s recent shortened season as he registered five goals and 12 assists through 23 games, offering strong offensive support from the back end while helping Everett claim top spot in the U.S. Division.
So, #TakeWarning
… he's just beginning to scratch the surface.
Ronan Seeley is a @Canes draft pick!
News: https://t.co/6ZXPJbCVE7 pic.twitter.com/YCSFTxSG1T
— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) October 8, 2020
Ryan Suzuki
Much like his older brother Nick of the Montreal Canadiens, the younger is a talented offensive pivot who excels at setting up his linemates. It is that skill set that made Suzuki the top pick by Barrie in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection. Joining the Colts later that fall, Suzuki made an immediate impression as a first year in putting up 44 points to finish tied for fifth in scoring among league freshmen and earn a spot on the OHL Second All-Rookie Team. The budding talent then followed up that performance with a 31-point uptick as he posted 25 goals and 50 assists through his 65-game sophomore season to top the Colts in scoring. Again producing north of a point-per-game in his third season, Suzuki later joined forces with the Saginaw Spirit where through 23 appearances he dazzled with 13 goals and 22 assists. A product of London, Ont., Suzuki has also excelled with Team Canada and has represented his home country at all three levels of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence. A first-round selection by the Hurricanes in the 2019 NHL Draft, the 19-year-old spent this season on loan with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves where he posted five goals and five assists through 26 appearances.
Ashley HomeStore #OHL Highlight Reel: Ryan Suzuki
FULL 📽️ https://t.co/8ZOIyTOGNs pic.twitter.com/6rZn7NghcA
— Saginaw Spirit (@SpiritHockey) August 4, 2020