As hockey playoffs are in full swing and teams start to set their eye on the upcoming NHL draft, the final rankings from NHL Central Scouting have been released.
The list ranks the best North American and International hockey players who are draft-eligible for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. In this mid-term list, the same two Kelowna Rockets and two West Kelowna Warriors on the initial list have made the cut once again. This time, all four players moved up in the rankings.
After a regular season in which he potted 47 goals, Rockets forward Tij Iginla is the ninth-ranked skater in North America. He finished second on the team in points with 84 (47 goals, 37 assists).
He was previously ranked 11th.
Rockets rookie Hiroki Gojsic saw a massive jump on the list after an impressive second half of the season. After being ranked 94th in the mid-term rankings, he is now 63rd among North American skaters. He finished his rookie season with 21 goals and 29 assists (50 points) in 68 games.
West Kelowna Warriors forward Jack Pridham jumped five spots, from 70th to 65th. The Stouffville, ONT native finished the season third in Warriors scoring with 48 points (23 goals, 25 assists) in 54 games.
The biggest leap on the board is Warriors forward Callum Hughes. He is now ranked the 99th-best skater in North America after being 149th halfway through the season. The Westwood, MA native and Boston University commit had a big second half, finishing the season with 23 goals and 19 assists, sixth on the team in scoring.
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft takes place on June 28 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
Tthe Rockets and Warriors are in playoff action on Tuesday night, April 16. The Rockets are back at Prospera Place down 2-0 in their second-round series against the Prince George Cougars. Kelowna has yet to score a goal in the series. Puck drop is at 7:05 p.m. Meanwhile, after being up 3-0 in their series, the Warriors play in a loser goes home, game seven in their first-round series against the Cranbrook Bucks. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. at Royal LePage Place.
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