Brantford Bulldogs, Guelph Storm and Kitchener Rangers players rank high with NHL talent scouts

Hockey players from the Brantford Bulldogs, Guelph Storm and Kitchener Rangers can expect lots of eyes on them ahead of the next NHL draft.

The NHL Central scouting’s midterm rankings were released on Monday, and several players from these teams earned significant praise.

Zachary Jovanosvski from the Guelph Storm was the top ranked goalie in the Ontario Hockey League, listed 10th overall for North American Goalies.

The only other local goalie to secure a spot was Jason Schaubel, of the Kitchener Rangers, who came in 29th.

When it came to skaters, plenty of local talent attracted attention.

Caleb Malhotra, a centre for the Brantford Bulldogs, was fifth on the North American Skaters list. He was the only local player to crack the top 10, but he has company within the top 50, with Alexander Bilecki from the Kitchener Rangers ranked 38th and Vladimir Dravecky from the Bulldogs in the 40th spot.

Further down the list, the Guelph Storm’s Carter Stevens came in at number 54, followed by his teammates Layne Gallacher at 62, Rylan Singh at 144, Eric Frossard at 151 and Illia Shybinskyi at 185.

Cooper Dennis from the Brantford Bulldogs rounded out the local contingent, coming in 202nd.

The 2026 draft will be held at the KeyBank Centre in Buffalo. The first round is scheduled for June 26, followed by rounds two to seven on June 27.