Dozens of WHL players on Central Scouting’s watch list for 2024 NHL Draft

Oct 25, 2023 | 12:45 PM Pete McIntyre

More than 60 players from the Western Hockey League have been named to NHL Central Scouting’s ‘Preliminary Players to Watch’ List for the 2024 NHL Draft.

The list includes centre Tij Iginla of Lake Country with the Kelowna Rockets as a ‘B’ prospect, goalie Evan Gardner (Lake Country) of the Saskatoon Blades (C rating), centre Hunter Laing (Kelowna) with the Prince George Cougars (W rating), defenceman Nathan Mayes (Salmon Arm) of the Spokane Chiefs (W) and winger Deagan McMillan (Vernon) of the Tri City Americans (W rating).

NHL Central Scouting identifies players with a rating system that includes five categories. The ‘A’ category indicates players projected to be first-round candidates. The ‘B’ rating indicates players projected to be second- or third-round candidates, and the ‘C’ rating indicates players projected to be fourth- or fifth-round candidates. New this year, NHL Central Scouting has introduced the ‘W’ rating, which indicates players projected to be sixth- or seventh-round candidates. Finally, the ‘LV’ rating represents players who have not had sufficient viewings, due to injury.

Six WHL players earned ‘A’ ratings including Spokane Chiefs forward Berkly Catton, Regina Pats forward Tanner Howe, Edmonton Oil Kings forward Adam Jecho, Medicine Hat Tigers forward Cayden Lindstrom, Prince Albert Raiders forward Ryder Ritchie, and Calgary Hitmen defenceman Carter Yakemchuk.

Eight WHL players were given ‘B’ ratings, including Kelowna Rockets forward Tij Iginla and Prince George Cougars forward Terik Parascak.

A total of 17 WHL players were given ‘C’ ratings.

The 63 WHL players listed leads the entire Canadian Hockey League. In total, 161 CHL players are listed including 62 from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and 36 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

2023-24 NHL Central Scouting ‘Preliminary Players to Watch’ List – WHL Players

PTW	Last Name	First Name	Hometown	Team	Ht	Wt	Pos
A	Catton	Berkly	Saskatoon, Sask	Spokane Chiefs	5’11”	170	C
A	Howe	Tanner	Prince Albert, Sask.	Regina Pats	5’10”	182	LW
A	Jecho	Adam	Zlin, Czechia	Edmonton Oil Kings	6’5”	201	C
A	Lindstrom	Cayden	Chetwynd, B.C.	Medicine Hat Tigers	6’3”	210	C
A	Ritchie	Ryder	Calgary, Alta.	Prince Albert Raiders	6’0”	175	RW
A	Yakemchuk	Carter	Calgary, Alta.	Calgary Hitmen	6’3”	190	D
B	Basha	Andrew	Calgary, Alta.	Medicine Hat Tigers	5’11”	184	LW
B	Curran	Maximilian	Prague, Czechia	Tri-City Americans	6’3”	179	C
B	Elick	Charlie	Calgary, Alta.	Brandon Wheat Kings	6’3”	200	D
B	Iginla	Tij	Lake Country, B.C.	Kelowna Rockets	6’0”	186	C
B	Josephson	Ollie	Victoria, B.C.	Red Deer Rebels	6’0”	185	C
B	Parascak	Terik	Lethbridge, Alta.	Prince George Cougars	6’0”	176	RW
B	Roberts	Colton	Maple Ridge, B.C.	Vancouver Giants	6’4”	198	D
B	Wetsch	Carson	North Vancouver, B.C.	Calgary Hitmen	6’0”	187	RW
C	Alcos	Parker	Port Moody, B.C.	Edmonton Oil Kings	6’3”	180	D
C	Brunicke	Harrison	Calgary, Alta.	Kamloops Blazers	6’2”	185	D
C	Buttazzoni	Diego	Langley, B.C.	Portland Winterhawks	5’9”	183	C
C	Caswell	Clarke	Brandon, Man.	Swift Current Broncos	5’11”	170	LW
C	Cooper	Miles	Calgary, Alta.	Wenatchee Wild	5’10”	163	C
C	Cowan	Dawson	Warren, Man.	Spokane Chiefs	6’2”	185	G
C	Davidson	Hyde	Edmonton, Alta.	Seattle Thunderbirds	6’2”	165	D
C	Fluker	Josh	Boissevain, Man.	Swift Current Broncos	6’0”	160	D
C	Gojsic	Hiroki	Langley, B.C.	Kelowna Rockets	6’3”	198	RW
C	Hadland	Caleb	Sylvan Lake, Alta.	Brandon Wheat Kings	5’10”	174	LW
C	Howell	Marek	Calgary, Alta.	Vancouver Giants	6’3”	201	D
C	Marques	Miguel	Prince George, B.C.	Lethbridge Hurricanes	5’11”	173	RW
C	McIsaac	William	Vancouver, B.C.	Spokane Chiefs	6’3”	192	D
C	Miettinen	Julius	Helsinki, Finland	Everett Silvertips	6’3”	205	C
C	Mrsic	Tomas	Surrey, B.C.	Medicine Hat Tigers	5’11”	170	C
C	Pickford	Bryce	Chauvin, Alta.	Seattle Thunderbirds	6’0”	170	D
C	Titlbach	Adam	Litvinov, Czechia	Vancouver Giants	5’9”	164	C
C	Ward	Landen	Lloydminster, Alta.	Lethbridge Hurricanes	6’3”	200	LW
LV	Spilka	Vasyl	Leberec, Czechia	Medicine Hat Tigers	6’2”	185	C
W	Doyle	Tristen	Bonnyville, Alta.	Lethbridge Hurricanes	5’9”	177	D
W	Drancak	Samuel	Strakonice, Czechia	Red Deer Rebels	5’11”	185	C
W	Fryer	Seth	Victoria, B.C.	Victoria Royals	6’7”	197	D
W	Gardner	Evan	Lake Country, B.C.	Saskatoon Blades	6’0”	175	G
W	Gudelj	Jake	Vancouver, B.C.	Tri-City Americans	6’2”	192	C
W	Kral	Lukas	Sadska, Czechia	Spokane Chiefs	6’0”	172	LW
W	Kubiesa	Matej	Frydek-Mistek, Czechia	Prince Albert Raiders	5’11”	171	RW
W	Laing	Hunter	Kelowna, B.C.	Prince George Cougars	6’5”	205	C
W	Lovsin	Simon	Stony Plain, Alta.	Seattle Thunderbirds	6’0”	176	C
W	Martin	Grady	Oyen, Alta.	Prince Albert Raiders	6’3”	193	C
W	Matecha	Lukas	Paradubice, Czechia	Tri-City Americans	6’3”	194	G
W	Mayes	Nathan	Salmon Arm, B.C.	Spokane Chiefs	6’4”	194	D
W	McMillan	Deagan	Vernon, B.C.	Tri-City Americans	6’2”	187	RW
W	Meneghin	Harrison	South Surrey, B.C.	Lethbridge Hurricanes	6’3”	164	G
W	Michaluk	Cooper	Edmonton, Alta.	Spokane Chiefs	6’2”	173	G
W	Misskey	Nate	Melfort, Sask.	Victoria Royals	6’3”	210	D
W	Ness	Brady	Sedgewick, Alta.	Moose Jaw Warriors	6’3”	199	D
W	Peardon	Cole	Outlook, Sask.	Prince Albert Raiders	6’0”	175	C
W	Pederson	Rhys	Stettler, Alta.	Edmonton Oil Kings	6’4”	193	D
W	Petr	Dominik	Ostrava, Czechia	Brandon Wheat Kings	6’2”	167	C
W	Smith	Shane	Cessford, Alta.	Medicine Hat Tigers	6’0”	194	C
W	Smith	Tarin	Porcupine Plain, Sask.	Everett Silvertips	6’1”	175	D
W	Spunar	Jan	Olomouc, Czechia	Portland Winterhawks	6’3”	185	G
W	Tastad	Morgan	Loreburn, Sask.	Saskatoon Blades	6’3”	185	D
W	Thorpe	Tyler	Richmond, B.C.	Vancouver Giants	6’4”	209	RW
W	Unger	Jackson	Calgary, Alta.	Moose Jaw Warriors	6’1”	185	G
W	Vaughan	Jaxsin	Merritt, B.C.	Regina Pats	6’1”	206	RW
W	Vaughan	Corbin	Merritt, B.C.	Regina Pats	6’0”	205	D
W	Wilke	Trae	Saskatoon, Sask.	Lethbridge Hurricanes	6’0”	191	LW
W	Zakreski	Josh	Saskatoon, Sask.	Portland Winterhawks	5’11”	188	LW