Locals could feel a draft in QMJHL today
Three Newfoundlanders are ranked in the first round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League midget draft slated for today in Saint John, N.B.
The Rimouski Oceanic have the first pick in the 2017 Draft which will be held at Harbour Station, home of the Saint John Sea Dogs.
Alex Newhook and Brett Budgell of St. John’s, and Dawson Mercer of Bay Roberts are all ranked as first-rounders according to the final QMJHL Central Scouting rankings.
Newhook leads the group at No. 5, while Mercer is the 12thranked player. Budgell comes in at No. 18.
While Newhook will hear his name called, it’s believed he will play in the British Columbia Hockey League and the Victoria Grizzlies next season to protect his NCAA eligibility.
Newhook has committed to Boston College. He is the most highly-touted player from Newfoundland since Nathan Noel, when the latter enjoyed a couple of stellar seasons with Shattuck-st. Mary’s prep school in Faribault, Minn.
Noel went third overall to the Sea Dogs in 2013.
The sixteen-year-old Newhook is coming off a banner season for the midget AAA York Simcoe Express, which plays in the Eastern AAA league within the Ontario Minor Hockey Association.
Newhook won the league scoring title with 44 goals and 82 points in 40 games, and was named the league’s player of the year.
As for Mercer, he led all scorers on the round-robin two weeks ago at the QMJHL Gatorade Excellence Challenge outside Montreal. The event brought to together the top 16-year-old, draft-eligible players from Quebec and Atlantic Canada to play in front of scouts and management of all 18 QMJHL teams.
Mercer played for Bishops College, a prep school in Sherbrooke, Que., where he finished third in team scoring with 18 goals and 30 assists in 51 games.
Budgell enjoyed a tremendous first year with the London Junior Knights AAA midget squad in Ontario this past season.
He finished second in scoring in the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario association, with 25 goals and 58 points in 32 games. He added five goals and 15 points in the playoffs, helping the Knights reach the OHL Cup provincial championship, where they advanced to the semifinals before bowing out.