Five CHLers sign NHL entry-level contracts
Caeden Bankier (KAM), Isaac Belliveau (GAT), Michael Buchinger (GUE), Ryan Hofer (KAM) and Tristan Lennox (SAG) each signed three-year entry-level contracts Wednesday.
Bankier, who was the 86th overall pick by the Minnesota Wild in the 2021 NHL Draft, has set career highs in 2022-23 with 30 goals and 62 points. His 30 goals are tied for the team lead while he ranks third in scoring.
The 49th selection in the 2018 WHL Draft, Bankier has spent his entire junior career in Kamloops where he has played 189 games. Bankier won a gold medal with Canada at the 2023 World Juniors.
Belliveau penned a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the club that selected him 154th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. His 40 points this year are the second most among Olympiques blueliners while his 10 goals are one shy of his career high. Over parts of five QMJHL seasons, Belliveau has played 211 career games between Rimouski and Gatineau.
Toutes nos félicitations Belley! ✍️
Congrats Belley ! ✍️@penguins #goOLgo♠️ pic.twitter.com/CC1r4tn1DM
— Olympiques de Gatineau (@OlympiquesGAT) March 1, 2023
Buchinger inked a deal with the St. Louis Blues after he was the 88th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The Markham, Ont., native sits fourth in OHL scoring among defencemen this season with 56 points while his 13 goals are tied for seventh.
A year ago, Buchinger had 44 points and was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team. Over 114 games with the Storm, the 18-year-old has tallied 100 points, the eighth most in franchise history among d-men.
Hofer, the 181st overall by pick by the Washington Capitals in the 2022 NHL Draft, has 36 goals this year and has matched his career high in points with 58. The Winnipeg native, who was undrafted into the WHL, has played 142 games in the league.
After 125 games with Everett over parts of three seasons, the Blazers acquired Hofer Jan. 8 as part of a blockbuster trade that saw Olen Zellweger head to Kamloops as well.
Lennox was selected 93rd overall by the New York Islanders in 2021. The Cambridge, Ont., native is tied sixth in OHL wins this year with 22 while his 40 games are tied fifth.
The 20-year-old was the 26th overall pick in the 2018 OHL Draft and he has gone on to play 116 games for the Spirit, tied for the fifth most in franchise history among goaltenders. His 56 wins place him fifth.
Also Wednesday, Halifax Mooseheads free agent forward Alexandre Doucet signed an entry-level contract with Detroit.
Pure happiness from the Lennox family as Tristan signs his three-year entry level contract with the @NYIslanders 💞 pic.twitter.com/ufICscwrNT
— Saginaw Spirit (@SpiritHockey) March 1, 2023