45 WHL players highlight NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today 45 WHL players have been listed by NHL Central Scouting in its final rankings in advance of the 2018 NHL Draft, scheduled for June 22-23 in Dallas, Texas.

Heading the list is defenceman Ty Smith (Lloydminster, Alta. / Spokane Chiefs), who is ranked 14th among North American skaters. Joining Smith in the top 30 are defencemen Alexander Alexeyev (22nd – St. Petersburg, Russia / Red Deer Rebels), Jett Woo (28th – Winnipeg, Man. / Moose Jaw Warriors) and Calen Addison (30th – Brandon, Man. / Lethbridge Hurricanes).

Including, Smith, Alexeyev, Woo, and Addison, 18 WHL defencemen land in the final rankings, with eight in the top 73. Also landing in the Top 60 were center Milos Roman (41st – Kysucke Nove Mesto, Slovakia / Vancouver Giants), center Riley Stotts (51st – Winnipeg, Man. / Calgary Hitmen), center Kristian Reichel (53rd – Most, Czech Rep. / Red Deer Rebels), defenceman Filip Kral (54th – Blansko, Czech Rep. / Spokane Chiefs) and center Kyle Topping (59th – Ganges, B.C / Kelowna Rockets).

Joel Hofer (seventh ­– Winnipeg, Man. / Swift Current Broncos), David Tendeck (eighth – North Vancouver, B.C. / Vancouver Giants), Max Paddock (22nd – Winnipeg, Man. / Regina Pats) and Duncan McGovern (24th – Winnipeg, Man. / Kootenay ICE) land among ranked goaltenders from North America.

Both Smith and Wouters were recently named as the Western and Eastern Conference Scholastic Players of the Year respectively, with both being nominated for the Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year. Smith was named to the first All-Star team in the Western Conference, while Tendeck was named to the Western Conference’s second All-Star team.

The Red Deer Rebels lead all WHL clubs with five players list, while the Calgary Hitmen and Saskatoon Blades each boast four. Six more teams are tied with three players each nominated.
At the 2017 NHL Draft, a total of 33 WHL players were selected, including seven in the first round.

2018 NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKINGS (NORTH AMERICA) – WHL SKATERS

For the complete list, CLICK HERE.

2018 NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKINGS (NORTH AMERICA) – WHL GOALTENDERS

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.