The National Hockey League Central Scouting mid-term report is in, and Salt Spring Island’s Kyle Topping tops the list of locals as the Kelowna Rockets centre is rated at No. 64 on the North American skaters’ list.
Topping has 17 goals and 30 assists in 46 games this season after the five-foot-11, 185-pound prospect collected 14 goals and 15 helpers last year in Kelowna.
Former Victoria Royals Eric Florchuk and Ryan Peckford slip in at Nos. 93 and 97.
Florchuk, who was recently traded to Saskatoon, has 10 goals and 25 assists in 48 games, including three goals and four helpers in five outings since joining the Blades. The six-foot-one, 174-pound centre will represent Team Cherry at this weekend’s CHL Top Prospects Game.
Peckford, a six-foot, 191-pound left-winger dealt to Moose Jaw, has 17 goals and 26 assists in 33 games (four goals and 12 helpers in 16 games in Moose Jaw).
There are no current Royals on the list, which also features a number of Canadian Junior Hockey League players — the highest of which are defencemen Stanislav Demin of the Wenatchee Wild at No. 32, Jonathon Tychonick of the Penticton Vees at No. 45 and Seth Barton of the Trail Smoke Eaters at No. 81.
Nanaimo Clippers defenceman Maxwell Crozier, who has five goals and 22 points in 38 games, is rated at No. 115 on the North American list. He has committed to Providence College for the 2019-20 season. Campbell River’s Brett Stapley, who plays centre for the Vernon Vipers and has 42 points in 40 games, is No. 146. He is committed to the University of Denver for next season.
Barrie Colts forward Andrei Svechnikov is the top-rated player from North America, while defenceman Rasmus Dahlin of Sweden is the No. 1-ranked player on the international side and expected to be the first overall pick in this summer’s NHL Draft in Dallas on June 22-23.
OVERTIME: Clippers forward Jake Harris recently committed to the NCAA’s Brown University for the 2018-19 season.
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