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12 BCHL players listed on NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings

Photo credit: Garrett James Photography (Beckner, Nadeau, Suniev, Stanley)

NHL Central Scouting released their final rankings this morning ahead of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and there are 12 current, former and future BCHL players listed.

Five players that are currently in the league made the list, as well as two former players now playing NCAA Division I hockey. In addition, five players committed to play in the league next year were also listed.

The NHL Entry Draft takes place June 28 and 29 at at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

#4 North American Skater

Matthew Wood (F) – University of Connecticut (Victoria Grizzlies)

Wood was the youngest player in college hockey this past season, having received early eligibility to play in the NCAA as a 17-year-old. In his freshman year at UConn, he put up 11 goals, 23 assists and 34 points in 35 games and was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 193 pounds, Wood tore up the BCHL last year, leading the league in scoring in his 16-year-old season with 85 points in 46 games, including a BCHL best 45 goals. He was named a First-Team All-Star, a member of the All-Rookie Team and the winner of the Bruce Allison Trophy as the league’s Rookie of the Year.

#17 North American Skater

Bradly Nadeau (F) – Penticton Vees

Nadeau has watched his draft stock rise all year long. He led the BCHL in scoring as a 17-year-old with 113 points in 54 games, while also tying for the league lead in goals with 45. Through six postseason games, Nadeau is also leading the league in playoff scoring with 15 points and his 10 goals are second most.

Playing alongside his older brother Josh, the Nadeaus have formed one of the most dynamic duos the BCHL has seen in some time. Bradly was held off the scoresheet in just five regular season games this year, including a 17-game point streak to start the year. He is committed to play at the University of Maine.

#40 North American Skater

Aydar Suniev (F) – Penticton Vees

Suniev is technically still a BCHL rookie after joining the Vees midway through last season, but only getting into 17 games. He started producing right away with 20 points last year and has carried that over into the 2022-23 campaign as the 18-year-old tied for the league lead in goals with 45 in 50 games. He added 45 assists to finish with 90 points on the year, third best in the league.

He was named a First-Team All-Star last week as well as a member of the BCHL’s All-Rookie Team.

Suniev is committed to play college hockey at the University of Massachusetts

#85 North American Skater

Hoyt Stanley (D) – Victoria Grizzlies

Stanley is the highest-ranked BCHL defenceman on the list at number 85. After missing most of last year with an injury, he managed to stay healthy and play a full season in 2022-23, suiting up in 53 of his team’s 54 games and piling up 38 points to lead all rookie defencemen in scoring. He also tied for eighth overall in points among BCHL blueliners.

Education is also an area where Stanley excels, as shown by his BCHL High School Player of the Month award in November and his scholarship to Cornell University.

#86 North American Skater

Owen Beckner (F) – Salmon Arm Silverbacks

Beckner tied for the Silverbacks scoring lead with 50 points in 54 games, while also leading the team with 27 goals on the year. His 50 points are a 40-point jump in production from his rookie season as a 16-year-old. So far in the playoffs, the Victoria, B.C. native has kept up his scoring pace, averaging a point per game with six in six contests, while leading Salmon Arm to the second round.

Beckner is another player who is focused on education as he also was awarded the BCHL’s High School Player of the Month award back in February.

Earlier this year, he announced his commitment to play NCAA Division I hockey at Colorado College.

#179 North American Skater

Charles-Alexis Legault (D) – Quinnipiac University (West Kelowna Warriors)

Legault is coming off a national championship win in his freshman year with the University of Quinnipiac Bobcats. The 2003-born defender scored two goals and added seven assists in 40 games of college hockey this past year.

Legault, who is in his second year of draft eligibility, played the 2021-22 campaign with the West Kelowna Warriors and put up 18 points in 36 regular-season games. He was even more impressive in the postseason where he averaged a point per game with two goals and nine assists in 11 contests.

#199 North American Skater

Ryan Hopkins (D) – Penticton Vees

The third current Vees player on the list, Hopkins is also in his second draft-eligible year, but has remained on the Central Scouting radar after another highly productive season.

After putting up 31 points in his rookie year, he topped that this year with 49 points in 48 games, putting him in third place on the BCHL’s defencemen points list. His stellar year earned him a Second-Team All-Star nod at the end of the regular season.

He is committed to the University of Maine.

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There are also five players committed to BCHL teams next year that made the list.

#73 North American Skater – Lawrence Keenan – Culver Military Academy (Penticton Vees)
#90 North American Skater – Francesco Dell’Elce – St. Andrew’s College (Penticton Vees)
#91 North American Skater – Jonathan Castagna – St. Andrew’s College (Penticton Vees)
#194 North American Skater – Sebastian Bradshaw – Elite Hockey Academy (Trail Smoke Eaters)
#202 North American Skater – Brady O’Malley – Victory Honda (Wenatchee Wild)