Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Bennett finishes atop ’14 NHL Draft rankings

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Image courtesy OHL

OHL Kingston center Sam Bennett shot to the top of NHL Central Scouting’s 2014 draft rankings back in January and, on Tuesday, he stayed there.

Bennett remained the No. 1 North American skater in the final Central Scouting rankings, the NHL announced today. The top five was rounded out by OHL Barrie defenseman Aaron Ekblad (No. 2), WHL Kootenay’s Sam Reinhart (No. 3), WHL Prince Albert’s Leon Draisaitl (No. 4) and OHL Oshawa’s Michael Dal Colle (No. 5).

“There are guys who elevate their game when it matters most, and you’re looking to project which players will do that consistently at the next level,” NHL Director of Central Scouting Dan Marr said. “The guys we have at the top all are in that mold, but when we look at Sam Bennett we see a guy who could potentially have a Jonathan Toews type of career.”

On the European side of things, Kasperi Kapanen — son of longtime NHLer Sami Kapanen — was named the No. 1 prospect, just like he was back in January. Kasperi has spent the last two years playing alongside Sami for Kalpa of the Finnish Elite League and, at the tender age of 17, scored 14 points in 47 games this season.

Another son of an ex-NHLer, William Nylander -- son of Michael -- finished second in the CSS Rankings for European skaters.

(Image courtesy the OHL)