Photo credit: Garrett James Photography (Littler, Dyck, Jugnauth, Hedquist), Jack Murray (Hopkins)
NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings ahead of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft today and 10 current and future BCHL players were listed as potential draft prospects.
Four current BCHLers and five incoming players were listed as North American skaters and one current player was listed as a North American goalie.
The 2022 NHL Draft takes place on Jul. 7 and 8 in Montreal, Que.
#66 North American Skater – Tyson Jugnauth (D) – West Kelowna Warriors
The winner of the BCHL’s Top Defenceman Award and a First-Team All-Star, Jugnauth enjoyed an excellent sophomore season in the league. The 18-year-old finished second in defencemen scoring with 50 points in 52 games on nine goals and 41 assists on a Warriors team that finished third in the Interior Conference with a record of 37-16-1-0.
Jugnauth burst onto the scene for the Warriors during last year’s pod season when he racked up 17 points in 20 games to lead the Warriors in points from the back end.
He is committed to the University of Wisconsin.
#101 North American Skater – Ryan Hopkins (D) – Penticton Vees
Hopkins was the Vees second-highest scoring defenceman during the regular season, putting up 31 points in 47 games and also leading the team in goals from the blueline with seven. At the end of the year, he was recognized as a member of the league’s All-Rookie Team.
Prior to joining the Vees in the offseason, Hopkins played two years at Stanstead College in Quebec. He did not get into any game action last year due to the pandemic, but amassed 31 points in 58 games in 2019-20.
He will play his college hockey at the University of Maine.
#110 North American Skater – Tyson Dyck (F) – Cranbrook Bucks
Dyck tied for fourth in league scoring with 75 points in 54 games. His 34 goals and 41 assists were also top-five in the league. As a result, he was voted as a First-Team All-Star, a member of the All-Rookie Team and a finalist for the league’s Rookie of the Year Award.
The Abbotsford, B.C. native was technically a rookie this year, but did get a handful of games in during the pod season last year when he had five points in six games for the Bucks in the Penticton Pod.
Dyck kept up his impressive pace during Cranbrook’s inaugural playoff run, scoring four times and adding an assist in six games.
#187 North American Skater – Cade Littler (F) – Wenatchee Wild
Littler was voted to the league’s All-Rookie Team and was a finalist for the Rookie of the Year Award. Playing for his hometown team in Wenatchee, the 17-year-old finished as the team’s leading goal scorer with 20 and second-leading points getter with 45 in 50 games.
His breakout came in December when he piled up 11 points in just six games and was awarded the High School Player of the Month.
Littler committed to Minnesota State University earlier this season.
#27 North American Goalie – Hobie Hedquist (G) – Alberni Valley Bulldogs
Hedquist had five shutouts during the regular season, which was second most in the league. He also finished with a .909 save percentage, a 2.53 goals-against average and a record of 28-9-4, while playing by far the most minutes of any goaltender in the league. He was named a Second-Team All-Star and a finalist for the BCHL’s Top Goaltender Award.
The Heron Lake, Minn. native boosted those numbers in the postseason, finishing with a .920 save percentage and a 1.98 goals-against average.
He is committed to the University of North Dakota.
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Incoming BCHL players
#50 North American Skater – Ben MacDonald (F) – Noble & Greenough School (West Kelowna Warriors)
#97 North American Skater – Daimon Gardner (F) – Warroad High (Chilliwack Chiefs)
#171 North American Skater – Liam Steele (D) – Stanstead College (Chilliwack Chiefs)
#206 North American Skater – Duncan Ramsay (D) – Kimball Union Academy (Chilliwack Chiefs)
#214 North American Skater – Nolan Joyce (D) – St. Sebastian’s School (West Kelowna Warriors)
