PENTICTON, B.C. – The NHL Central Scouting Bureau released their mid-season rankings for the 2023 NHL Draft today, and six current and future Penticton Vees are ranked.
Bradly Nadeau is ranked 19th among North American Skaters, Aydar Suniev is 35th, and Ryan Hopkins is ranked 196th. Recruits Francesco Dell’Elce (106), Larry Keenan (107), and Jonathan Castagna (135) also cracked the mid-season rankings.
Nadeau, 17, leads the BC Hockey League (BCHL) in scoring with 64 points (27G, 37A) in 33 games. The 5’10, 162-pound winger leads the league in goals (27) and is second in assists (37), behind older brother Josh Nadeau. He also leads the BCHL in game-winning goals (6). Nadeau was a ‘B’ ranked skater in NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Draft Rankings in October. Nadeau is committed to the University of Maine.
Suniev, who turned 18 in November, leads all BCHL Rookies with 52 points (23G, 29A) in 29 games. The 6’2, 198-pound winger is third overall in league scoring behind the Nadeau brothers. He’s ranked second in goals (23), fourth in assists (29), and fourth in power play goals (7). He leads the BCHL in power play assists with 17. Suniev was a ‘C’ ranked skater in October’s rankings. He is committed to the University of Massachusetts.
Hopkins, 18, is seventh in defencemen scoring in the BCHL with 25 points (7G, 18A) in 27 games. The 6’1, 183-pound blueliner led all defencemen in scoring in late November, before missing a month of action due to a bought of mono. Hopkins ranks fifth in points per-game average (0.93) and is second in power play assists (13). Last year, Hopkins was ranked 101st in NHL Central Scouting’s final NHL Draft Rankings. He too is committed to Maine.
Dell’Elce and Castagna both play at St. Andrew’s College (SAC) in Ontario. Castagna is second in team scoring with 42 points (15G, 27A) in 32 games. The forward is committed to Cornell University. Dell’Elce leads all SAC defencemen in scoring with 28 points (11G, 17A) in 31 games. The 6’1, 167-pound defender is committed to the University of Massachusetts.
Keenan plays US High School Prep at Culver Military Academy in Indiana. The 6’3, 185-pound rear guard is the top scoring defencemen on his team, with 14 points (6G, 8A) in 14 games. The Midhurst, ON, product is also committed to the University of Massachusetts.
The 2023 NHL Draft is scheduled for June 28-29, 2023, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN.
The Vees are on the road tonight against the Trail Smoke Eaters; puck drop is 7:00 pm. Penticton returns home tomorrow, Saturday, January 14, against the Cowichan Valley Capitals; face-off is 6:00 pm. Tickets are available at the Valley First box office, or online at www.valleyfirsttix.com
