There’s plenty of local content as the N-H-L Central Scouting Bureau released their mid-season draft rankings Friday.
Saskatoon product and Spokane centre Berkly Catton is ranked ninth amongst North American skaters while P-A Raiders’ forward Ryder Ritchie is 16th and Prince Albert product and Regina captain Tanner Howe is 29th. In addition, Evan Gardner of the Saskatoon Blades is ranked 16th amongst North American goaltenders. Debden native Chase Wutzke of Red Deer is 13th amongst goalies with five other Saskatchewan products plus P-A forward Matej Kubiesa on the North American skaters list as well. A full list of ranked W-H-Lers can be found with this story on-line. Macklin Celebrini sits atop the North American skaters. The 17-year-old centre from North Vancouver, B-C, led Canada with eight points in five games at the recent World Junior Championship. Finnish centre Konsta Helenius is the top-ranked international skater. Following is the news release from the W-H-L…..
NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING NAMES 60 WHL PLAYERS TO MIDTERM RANKINGS FOR 2024 NHL DRAFT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2024
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today 60 WHL players have been listed by NHL Central Scouting in its Midterm Rankings for the 2024 NHL Draft.
The Midterm Rankings were announced Friday morning by NHL Central Scouting.
2024 NHL DRAFT PROSPECTS – VIDEO & PHOTO ASSETS
Eight WHL skaters were ranked within the top 20 among North American skaters, including Cayden Lindstrom (Medicine Hat Tigers), Carter Yakemchuk (Calgary Hitmen), Berkly Catton (Spokane Chiefs), Tij Iginla (Kelowna Rockets), Adam Jecho (Edmonton Oil Kings), Terik Parascak (Prince George Cougars), Ryder Ritchie (Prince Albert Raiders), and Andrew Basha (Medicine Hat Tigers).
Two WHL netminders were ranked among the top 10 North American goaltenders, including Dawson Cowan (Spokane Chiefs) and Lukas Matecha (Tri-City Americans).
All 22 WHL Clubs are represented in the Midterm Rankings. Leading all WHL Clubs, the Calgary Hitmen and Lethbridge Hurricanes both boast five ranked players, while the Edmonton Oil Kings, Everett Silvertips, Medicine Hat Tigers and Red Deer Rebels all have four players ranked. Five WHL Clubs have three players ranked, including the Portland Winterhawks, Prince George Cougars, Regina Pats, Spokane Chiefs and Vancouver Giants.
A total of 37 WHL forwards find themselves ranked, joined by 15 WHL defencemen and eight WHL goaltenders.
The 60 WHL players listed leads the entire Canadian Hockey League. In total, 147 CHL players are listed including 53 from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and 34 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
2023-24 NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings – WHL Skaters
| Rank | Last Name | First Name | Hometown | Team | Ht | Wt | Pos |
| 3 | Lindstrom | Cayden | Chetwynd, B.C. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’3” | 210 | C |
| 6 | Yakemchuk | Carter | Calgary, Alta. | Calgary Hitmen | 6’3” | 190 | D |
| 9 | Catton | Berkly | Saskatoon, Sask. | Spokane Chiefs | 5’11” | 170 | C |
| 11 | Iginla | Tij | Lake Country, B.C. | Kelowna Rockets | 6’0” | 186 | C |
| 13 | Jecho | Adam | Zlin, Czechia | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’5” | 201 | C |
| 14 | Parascak | Terik | Lethbridge, Alta. | Prince George Cougars | 6’0” | 176 | RW |
| 16 | Ritchie | Ryder | Kelowna, B.C. | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’0” | 175 | RW |
| 18 | Basha | Andrew | Calgary, Alta. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 5’11” | 184 | LW |
| 24 | Roberts | Colton | Maple Ridge, B.C. | Vancouver Giants | 6’4” | 198 | D |
| 26 | Curran | Max | Prague, Czechia | Tri-City Americans | 6’3” | 179 | C |
| 28 | Elick | Charlie | Calgary, Alta. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’3” | 200 | D |
| 29 | Howe | Tanner | Prince Albert, Sask. | Regina Pats | 5’10” | 182 | LW |
| 33 | Marques | Miguel | Prince George, B.C. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 5’11” | 173 | RW |
| 43 | Josephson | Ollie | Victoria, B.C. | Red Deer Rebels | 6’0” | 185 | C |
| 44 | Wetsch | Carson | North Vancouver, B.C. | Calgary Hitmen | 6’0” | 187 | RW |
| 49 | Miettinen | Julius | Helsinki, Finland | Everett Silvertips | 6’3” | 205 | C |
| 54 | Smith | Tarin | Porcupine Plain, Sask. | Everett Silvertips | 6’1” | 175 | D |
| 66 | Misskey | Nate | Melfort, Sask. | Victoria Royals | 6’3” | 210 | D |
| 67 | Brunicke | Harrison | Calgary, Alta. | Kamloops Blazers | 6’2” | 185 | D |
| 68 | Caswell | Clarke | Brandon, Man. | Swift Current Broncos | 5’11” | 170 | LW |
| 84 | Becher | Ondrej | Ostrava, Czechia | Prince George Cougars | 6’1” | 184 | C |
| 90 | Mrsic | Tomas | Surrey, B.C. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 5’11” | 170 | C |
| 94 | Gojsic | Hiroki | Langley, B.C. | Kelowna Rockets | 6’3” | 198 | RW |
| 98 | McIsaac | William | Vancouver, B.C. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’3” | 192 | D |
| 99 | Alcos | Parker | Port Moody, B.C. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’3” | 180 | D |
| 107 | Jamieson | Eric | Calgary, Alta. | Everett Silvertips | 6’3” | 199 | D |
| 108 | Laing | Hunter | Kelowna, B.C. | Prince George Cougars | 6’5” | 205 | C |
| 110 | Thorpe | Tyler | Richmond, B.C. | Vancouver Giants | 6’4” | 209 | RW |
| 114 | Buttazzoni | Diego | Langley, B.C. | Portland Winterhawks | 5’9” | 183 | C |
| 118 | Zakreski | Josh | Saskatoon, Sask. | Portland Winterhawks | 5’11” | 188 | LW |
| 123 | Cooper | Miles | Calgary, Alta. | Wenatchee Wild | 5’10” | 163 | C |
| 136 | Vaughan | Corbin | Merritt, B.C. | Regina Pats | 6’0” | 205 | D |
| 139 | Fluker | Josh | Boissevain, Man. | Wenatchee Wild | 6’0” | 160 | D |
| 148 | Vaughan | Jaxsin | Merritt, B.C. | Regina Pats | 6’1” | 206 | RW |
| 162 | Heslop | Jesse | Nanaimo, B.C. | Everett Silvertips | 5’11” | 171 | LW |
| 163 | Fawcett | Keets | Grimshaw, Alta. | Calgary Hitmen | 5’10” | 167 | RW |
| 170 | McKenzie | Pavel | Cumberland House, Sask. | Moose Jaw Warriors | 6’0” | 174 | LW |
| 175 | Hadland | Caleb | Sylvan Lake, Alta. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 5’10” | 174 | LW |
| 187 | Edwards | Brayden | Abbotsford, B.C. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’0” | 186 | C |
| 188 | Smith | Shane | Cessford, Alta. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’0” | 194 | C |
| 190 | Wilke | Trae | Saskatoon, Sask. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’0” | 191 | LW |
| 192 | Ward | Landen | Lloydminster, Alta. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’3” | 200 | LW |
| 195 | Valliant | Chase | Surrey, B.C. | Calgary Hitmen | 6’0” | 174 | C |
| 200 | Pederson | Rhys | Stettler, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’4” | 194 | D |
| 206 | Davidson | Hyde | Edmonton, Alta. | Seattle Thunderbirds | 6’2” | 165 | D |
| 210 | Mistelbacher | Luke | Steinbach, Man. | Swift Current Broncos | 6’0” | 195 | RW |
| 211 | Williams | Dax | Calgary, Alta. | Calgary Hitmen | 6’0” | 190 | D |
| 214 | Pickford | Bryce | Chauvin, Alta. | Seattle Thunderbirds | 6’0” | 170 | D |
| 220 | Kubiesa | Matej | Frydek-Mistek, Czechia | Prince Albert Raiders | 5’11” | 171 | RW |
| 221 | Drancak | Samuel | Strakonice, Czechia | Red Deer Rebels | 5’11” | 185 | C |
| 223 | Titlbach | Adam | Litvinov, Czechia | Vancouver Giants | 5’9” | 164 | C |
| 224 | Hodnett | Gavin | Winnipeg, Man. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 5’7” | 158 | C |
2023-24 NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings – WHL Goaltenders
| Rank | Last Name | First Name | Hometown | Team | Ht | Wt | Pos |
| 5 | Cowan | Dawson | Warren, Man. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’2” | 185 | G |
| 9 | Matecha | Lukas | Paradubice, Czechia | Tri-City Americans | 6’3” | 194 | G |
| 13 | Wutzke | Chase | Debden, Sask. | Red Deer Rebels | 6’2” | 158 | G |
| 16 | Gardner | Evan | Lake Country, B.C. | Saskatoon Blades | 6’0” | 175 | G |
| 18 | Unger | Jackson | Calgary, Alta. | Moose Jaw Warriors | 6’1” | 185 | G |
| 21 | Spunar | Jan | Olomouc, Czechia | Portland Winterhawks | 6’3” | 185 | G |
| 26 | Meneghin | Harrison | South Surrey, B.C. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’3” | 164 | G |
| 28 | Stoesser | Rhett | Carstairs, Alta. | Red Deer Rebels | 6’1” | 206 | G |
