NEWS FILE PHOTOS
Three Medicine Hat Tigers were named to the NHL Central Scouting's mid-season rankings. Defenceman Bryce Pickford (73), forward Kadon McCann (101) and defenceman Jonas Woo (147) were ranked among North American skaters.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
A trio of Medicine Hat Tigers and a local product were recognized by NHL scouts on Tuesday.
Tigers’ defencemen Bryce Pickford and Jonas Woo, forward Kadon McCann and local forward Ryan Miller of the Portland Winterhawks, were all named on NHL Central scouting’s midterm rankings for North American skaters.
Miller, in his second WHL season, had a midterm ranking of 118 after a first half of eight goals and 16 points in 22 games.
Pickford led the Tigers’ trio, with a 73rd ranking. McCann came in at 101 and Woo at 147 among North American skaters.
“All three guys have been huge parts of the team this year,” associate coach Joe Frazer said. “When we’ve watched all three, they’ve just steadily improved from the start of the year, and it’s awesome they’re getting that recognition.”
The 18-year-old Pickford leads all WHL defencemen in goal scoring, tallying 18 goals adding 21 assists for 39 points in 36 games, good for the fifth in D-men scoring and third on the Tigers. The ranking is a jump for Pickford, who was not named to Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings earlier in the season.
Frazer isn’t surprised the blue liner is getting the recognition.
“He has been outstanding for us, whether that’s on the ice or his off ice habits, his leadership,” Frazer said. “He’s been an unbelievable addition to our team, coming in this summer.”
Pickford isn’t worrying too much about the ranking, having seen how little it means six months ahead of the draft.
“I got ranked last year,” Pickford said. “So I’m just trying to focus on the team first and see where it goes.”
The Chauvin product was the 202nd ranked North American skater ahead of the 2024 NHL draft, with two goals and 17 points in 65 games. He went undrafted before receiving an invite to the Colorado Avalanche he wasn’t able to utilize due to illness.
Pickford shares the same mindset as his defence partner Woo, both are looking to use the rankings as more fuel for the fire.
“It’s kind of cool, you look for it but try not to focus on too much,” Woo said about the ranking. “If anything, it’s motivation and you kind of use it to go higher and work yourself harder. But, it’s background noise, it’s cool, but it’s not anything too much.”
The 18-year-old Woo wasn’t eligible for the 2024 Draft with a late-birthday, getting his first shot at being selected. He was listed on Central Scouting’s preliminary watch list, touted as a potential sixth or seventh-round pick. The Winnipeg product is close to matching his WHL career high, tallying six goals and 32 points in 41 games, putting him 14th in defencemen scoring.
Woo says his confidence has continued to grow, with comfort in the city and with the team helping him find success.
“Just knowing the guys and knowing my D-partner and the forwards play with more I’m getting more comfortable,” Woo said. “The longer you play, you get more comfortable. So it’s been good. Every game, I get better and that’s the goal.”
McCann was also named to Central Scouting’s preliminary watch list, receiving a ‘C’ ranking that projects him as a fourth to fifth-rounder. Getting ranked 101st is an honour McCann says, one he hopes to improve upon.
“I didn’t really think I had the best first half of the season, so I kind of just want to build off of that,” McCann said. “It’s something pretty special and really cool. I feel like once the team starts winning more games, and we’re doing that right now, it’ll help not only me out, but it’ll help the team out. So right now I’m just focused on the team and hopefully winning a championship here.”
McCann has six goals and 13 points through 42 games, he hasn’t missed a regular season or playoff game since his WHL debut opening night last season. He’s found success as of late, riding a three-game point streak (three goals, five points) in the middle of the Tigers’ four-game win streak.
Despite the recognition, McCann says it has to be business as usual as they make the push for the playoffs before he can worry about the draft.
“I’ll get a couple of guys talking to me about it and the Rucks are pretty big supporters of me so they’ll probably give it to me a couple of times,” McCann said. “It’s just another day. It’s just a ranking, you can’t look too far into it because different teams have different opinions. So I just have to live the life as if it was yesterday.”
The mid-season rankings feature the top 224 skaters and 32 goaltenders in North America as well as the top 122 skaters and 16 goaltenders internationally. A total of 66 WHL players were named to the midterm rankings, six in the top 20, led by Brandon Wheat Kings forward Roger McQueen at fifth.
Prince George Cougars net minder Joshua Ravensbergen was ranked the top North American goaltender.
