52 WHL players named to updated NHL Central Scouting ‘Players to Watch’ list
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League is proud to announce 52 WHL players have been named to NHL Central Scouting’s updated ‘Players to Watch’ list for the 2020 NHL Draft.
NHL Central Scouting identifies players with a rating system that includes four categories. The ‘A’ rating indicates a first-round candidate, a ‘B’ rating indicates a second- or third-round candidate, and a ‘C’ rating indicates a fourth-, fifth-, or sixth-round candidate. A ‘LV’ rating indicates Limited Viewing of injured players who have not had sufficient viewings to be categorized.
Five WHL players were given ‘A’ ratings, including Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Kaiden Guhle, Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Daemon Hunt, Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman Braden Schneider, Vancouver Giants forward Justin Sourdif, and Kamloops Blazers forward Connor Zary. Zary is currently tied for first in WHL scoring this season with 30 points (13G-17A).
Eleven WHL players earned ‘B’ ratings, led by a trio of Portland Winterhawks in Cross Hanas, Seth Jarvis, and Simon Knak. Thirty-six more players earned ‘C’ ratings. The updated list features 28 forwards, 18 defencemen, and six goaltenders.
Overall, 21 of 22 WHL member Clubs are represented on the list. The Portland Winterhawks and defending WHL Champion Prince Albert Raiders led the way with five players each on the list. The Brandon Wheat Kings and Saskatoon Blades follow closely behind with four players each on the updated list. Five WHL member Clubs feature a trio of players on the list. Seven more feature a pair of players and five are represented by a single player.
The 2020 NHL Draft will take place at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Que. from June 26 to 27, 2020.
2020 NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING PRELIMINARY ‘PLAYERS TO WATCH’ – WHL PLAYERS
Skaters
| PTW | Last Name | First Name | Team | Height | Weight | Position |
| A | Guhle | Kaiden | Prince Albert | 6’2” | 188 | D |
| A | Hunt | Daemon | Moose Jaw | 6’0” | 198 | D |
| A | Schneider | Braden | Brandon | 6’2” | 202 | D |
| A | Sourdif | Justin | Vancouver | 5’11” | 173 | RW |
| A | Zary | Connor | Kamloops | 6’0” | 177 | C |
| B | Finley | Jack | Spokane | 6’6” | 213 | C |
| B | Greig | Ridly | Brandon | 5’11” | 164 | C |
| B | Hanas | Cross | Portland | 6’1” | 167 | LW |
| B | Jarvis | Seth | Portland | 5’10” | 179 | C |
| B | Knak | Simon | Portland | 6’1” | 185 | RW |
| B | McClennon | Connor | Winnipeg | 5’8” | 163 | RW |
| B | Neighbours | Jake | Edmonton | 6’0” | 197 | LW |
| B | Prokop | Luke | Calgary | 6’4” | 219 | D |
| B | Sedoff | Christoffer | Red Deer | 6’2” | 193 | D |
| B | Wiesblatt | Ozzy | Prince Albert | 5’10” | 183 | RW |
| C | Bauer | Tyrel | Seattle | 6’3” | 206 | D |
| C | Boyko | Noah | Lethbridge | 6’0” | 173 | RW |
| C | Brondberg | Jonas | Portland | 6’4” | 189 | D |
| C | Brook | Jakob | Prince Albert | 6’2” | 183 | RW |
| C | Cikhart | Jan | Tri-City | 6’3” | 179 | C |
| C | Crnkovic | Kyle | Saskatoon | 5’6” | 159 | LW |
| C | De La Gorgendiere | Aidan | Saskatoon | 6’0” | 183 | D |
| C | Ferguson | Ian | Tri-City | 5’11” | 178 | D |
| C | Fromm-Delorme | Robbie | Portland | 6’1” | 182 | RW |
| C | Goncalves | Gage | Everett | 6’0” | 165 | C |
| C | Gut | Michal | Everett | 6’0” | 187 | C |
| C | Homola | David | Moose Jaw | 5’10” | 163 | D |
| C | Hughes | Bear | Spokane | 6’1” | 171 | C |
| C | King | Ben | Red Deer | 6’2” | 194 | C |
| C | Kosior | Landon | Prince Albert | 5’11” | 190 | D |
| C | Kubicek | Simon | Seattle | 6’2” | 205 | D |
| C | Kucerik | Radek | Saskatoon | 6’1” | 211 | D |
| C | McCartney | Ben | Brandon | 6’0” | 182 | LW |
| C | Novak | Pavel | Kelowna | 5’9” | 170 | RW |
| C | Palivko | Danila | Lethbridge | 6’5” | 199 | D |
| C | Pederson | Owen | Winnipeg | 6’3” | 191 | C |
| C | Pillar | Josh | Kamloops | 5’11” | 171 | C |
| C | Puutio | Kasper | Swift Current | 5’11” | 184 | D |
| C | Rhinehart | Rhett | Prince George | 6’3” | 203 | D |
| C | Robins | Tristen | Saskatoon | 5’10” | 176 | RW |
| C | Seeley | Ronan | Everett | 6’0” | 176 | D |
| C | Shepard | Cole | Vancouver | 5’11” | 157 | LW |
| C | Souch | Carter | Edmonton | 5’9” | 166 | LW |
| C | Svejkovsky | Lukas | Vancouver | 5’10” | 165 | C |
| C | Usau | Ilya | Prince Albert | 6’0” | 182 | C |
| C | Zloty | Benjamin | Winnipeg | 5’10” | 175 | D |
Goaltenders
| PTW | Last Name | First Name | Team | Height | Weight | Position |
| B | McNaughton | Jack | Calgary | 6’1” | 179 | G |
| C | Bjorklund | Garin | Medicine Hat | 6’2” | 173 | G |
| C | Garand | Dylan | Kamloops | 6’0” | 173 | G |
| C | Gould | Brock | Victoria | 6’5” | 201 | G |
| C | Kruger | Ethan | Brandon | 6’1” | 181 | G |
| C | Thomson | Bryan | Lethbridge | 6’4” | 179 | G |
Players have been identified using the following criteria:
- A Rating — Indicates a first round candidate
- B Rating — Indicates a second or third round candidate
- C Rating — Indicates a fourth/fifth/sixth round candidate
- LV (Limited Viewing) — Injured players who have not had sufficient viewings to be categorized.
For the complete list, CLICK HERE.
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 350 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
