News Article: Tkachuck ranked #1 in NA prospect rankings..

[Overkamp]

Pretty cool for a kid growing up playing his hockey in Stl..another testament about how good a hockey town the city has become.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=798054

Forward Matthew Tkachuk of London of the Ontario Hockey League was named the No. 1 North American skater on NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of the top prospects for the 2016 NHL Draft.

The draft will be held June 24-25 at First Niagara Center in Buffalo.

Tkachuk, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound left wing, has 15 goals, 63 points and a plus-25 rating in 33 games with London this season.

He also helped the United States win the bronze medal at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship, tying for the U.S. lead with 11 points.

Click to read more...

 

[MissouriMook]

Certainly not trying to take anything away from the kid, but I thought it was curious that they listed Auston Matthews as an International player since he is playing over in Europe this season. Is that normal for these rankings? I've only been following prospects closely for a few years and this is the first time I can remember it coming up.

Depending on where Logan Brown gets drafted, it is conceivable that we could have three St. Louis kids (Tkachuk, Brown and Keller) in the Top 15-20 picks. Kudos to the AAA Blues and all of the other local hockey development groups.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Kunin and Freederic are also in top 40 NA skaters, and Nappier is a ranked goalie. STL represent represent

 

[Overkamp]

Kunin and Freederic are also in top 40 NA skaters, and Nappier is a ranked goalie. STL represent represent

It feels really good to get on the map. And people can shutup about Stl not being a good hockey town.

Always has been, always will. Makes me proud.

 

[67Blues]

It feels really good to get on the map. And people can shutup about Stl not being a good hockey town.

Always has been, always will. Makes me proud.

Wait...I thought we were the Heartland of Hockey (tm)

 

[Overkamp]

Wait...I thought we were the Heartland of Hockey (tm)

http://video.blues.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=842271

Hope we get the 2018 World Jrs! Oh, wait...

 

[Alklha]

Certainly not trying to take anything away from the kid, but I thought it was curious that they listed Auston Matthews as an International player since he is playing over in Europe this season. Is that normal for these rankings? I've only been following prospects closely for a few years and this is the first time I can remember it coming up.

It comes up all the time if you think of it the other way around. Nylander is ranked third in North American skaters.

 

[Stealth JD]

It feels really good to get on the map. And people can shutup about Stl not being a good hockey town.

Always has been, always will. Makes me proud.

St. Louis is going to lose the Blues, because it's a baseball town.

- Stanley Enos Kroenke

 

[MissouriMook]

It comes up all the time if you think of it the other way around. Nylander is ranked third in North American skaters.

I didn't notice that but it actually makes sense. Is it fair to assume that they always classify players based on where they are playing in their draft year as opposed to where they are from?