Photo credit: Garrett James Photography
NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings ahead of the 2020 NHL Draft and four BCHL players were listed.
Chilliwack Chiefs forward Ethan Bowen, Penticton Vees forward Danny Weight, Nanaimo Clippers forward Kyler Kovich and Vernon Vipers defenceman Trey Taylor all made the final cut ahead of the draft, which was originally scheduled for June 26 and 27 in Montreal, but will be rescheduled due to COVID-19 concerns.
F Ethan Bowen – Chilliwack Chiefs – 119th North American skater
The 17-year-old had 31 points in 41 games in 2019-20, missing a large chunk of the season with a wrist injury. Over his two seasons in the league playing for his hometown team in Chilliwack, Bowen totaled 31 goals and 39 assists for 70 points in 102 games.
In 2018 as an affiliate, the Chilliwack, B.C. native was part of the Chiefs team that hosted and won the RBC Cup on home ice, playing alongside his brother Ryan. He’s committed to the University of North Dakota next season.
F Danny Weight – Penticton Vees – 142nd North American skater
Weight finished in the top-10 in league scoring in his first BCHL season, putting up 60 points in 58 games for the regular season Interior Division champion Vees. His 25 goals on the year also tied him for most on his team.
The Lattingtown, N.Y. native is the son of former NHL player and coach Doug Weight and is in his second year of draft eligibility. He is committed to Boston College for the 2020-21 season.
F Kyler Kovich – Nanaimo Clippers – 168th North American skater
Kovich was a huge part of the Clippers offence this year as the team won the division title on the last day of the regular season. The 18-year-old had 18 goals and 21 assists for 39 points to finish fourth in team scoring. He now has 53 points in 101 regular-season games over his two years in Nanaimo.
The native of Coquitlam, B.C. has already been named the Clippers captain for next season and is committed to Cornell University for 2021-22.
D Trey Taylor – Vernon Vipers – 216th North American skater
Taylor had six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in his second season in the BCHL, five more than he had in his rookie year. He also contributed six points in 21 playoff games in 2018-19 and was a big part of Vernon’s run to the Fred Page Cup Final.
Taylor’s older brother Ty was a prolific goalie for the Vipers from 2016 to 2018 and was drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Trey recently committed to Clarkson University for the 2021-22 season.
In total, there were 15 CJHL players listed in Central Scouting’s final ranking. You can view the list here.
Click here to view the full list of all players ranked.