The 2021 National Hockey League entry draft takes place over two days, starting with the first round on Friday (July 23).
Rounds two through seven happen Saturday with several BCHLers, including Chilliwack Chiefs alum Sasha Teleguine, hoping to hear their names called by an NHL team.
The BCHL has prepared a full draft preview, presented by Chevrolet.
Here are the current and former players with the best odds to be selected.
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Kent Johnson (F) - Ranked third among North American skaters by Central Scouting
Ranked #3 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting
The Port Moody product collected nine goals and 27 points in 26 games during his freshman season with the NCAA’s Michigan Wolverines, and was named to the Big Ten’s All-Rookie Team.
Johnson logged two BCHL campaigns with the Trail Smoke Eaters (2018-20). In his second year he led the league in scoring with a whopping 41 goals and 101 points in 52 games. He was awarded the Vern Dye Memorial trophy as the BCHL’s MVP at the end of that year.
With a late-2002 birthday, Johnson was ineligible for last year’s NHL draft, but he has a shot at matching or surpassing Kyle Turris as the BCHL’s highest selection in the NHL Entry Draft. Turris was taken third overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2007.
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Charles-Alexis Legault (D) – Ranked 123rd among North American skaters by Central Scouting
Legault spent the extended training camp season with the West Kelowna Warriors in 2020-21 and put up a goal and three assists in 10 contests. When the league shut down due to COVID, he ended up with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL.
“I’m a big defenceman that skates and hits,” he said. “I use my physicality and I train a lot. I take a lot of pride in my physical play and I can contribute on both sides of the ice as a 200-foot defenceman.”
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Sasha Teleguine (F) - Ranked 134th among North American skaters by Central Scouting
Teleguine joined Chilliwack last year for his first season in the BCHL and became an instant impact player. The 18-year-old collected 18 points in 20 games and led the Chiefs in assists with 14. He was a unanimous choice as the Chilliwack Pod’s Top Rookie award winner.
“I think I’m a pretty intense player,” he said. “I also think I’m skilled. I can make plays happen and I’m creative. My best attributes are my speed and skill. I play the game at a pretty high pace.”
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Ellis Rickwood (F) – Ranked 144th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting
Rickwood scored four goals and added an assist for the Victoria Grizzlies in his BCHL debut in April, and carried on from there to amass 13 goals and 30 points in 20 games. Rickwood was named the Most Valuable Player, Top Scorer and Top Rookie in the Island pod.
“I’m a right wing and centre,” he said. “Having versatility is very valuable. I’m a big guy that can slow the play down. I can score goals, I can make plays and shoot the puck.”
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Nick Roukounakis (F) – Ranked 184th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting
Roukounakis has yet to play in the BCHL. He joins the West Kelowna Warriors from Thayer Academy in Massachusetts. In his most recent full season in 2019-20, he tallied 27 points in 26 games. The six-foot-two and 188 pound forward played some games with the U.S. National Development Team in 2020-21, and gained valuable experience playing with some of the top players in his age group.
“I’m a big, strong power forward,” he said. “I use my size and my body as an advantage. I’m the type of kid that will go into the corner for puck battles. I like to drive the net hard and I’m not afraid to get to the dirty areas where a lot of other guys shy away.”
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Tyler Rubin (D) – Ranked 196th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting
Another soon-t0-be BCHL rookie committed to the West Kelowna Warriors, the 18-year-old Massachusetts native brings several years of prep school experience at Belmont Hill School, where he had 23 points in 30 games in his last full season in 2019-20.
“With the game and the way it’s moving today, a lot more of the defencemen you see coming into the NHL are like Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes,” he said. “In a couple years, that’s the defenceman that everyone is going to want on their team. I’m very valuable in that aspect. I know how I can perform offensively, but at the same time, I can defend very well. I have a very good stick. I can use my feet very well defensively.”
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Noah Serdachny (F) – Ranked 208th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting
A standout rookie with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks during the pod season, the 18-year-old led all BCHL freshmen in assists with 18 and finished fourth overall in rookie scoring with 24 points in 20 games.
“I make players around me better,” he said “That’s one thing I pride my game on. I’m an unselfish player. I like to make plays and play the game the right way. I like to create offence any way I can – even strength, power play. I’m a playmaker who can also put the puck in the net if I have to.”
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Joaquim Lemay (D) – Ranked 224th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting
Playing for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in the extended training camp season last fall, Lemay notched a goal and five assists in 13 games. When it came time for the pod season, Lemay chipped in with 10 assists in 15 contests.
“I’m a two-way defenceman,” he said. “I can breakout the puck either with a good pass or just beat the pressure. I can make some good offensive plays too, but I’m responsible defensively. If you talk about pro hockey, I think I would bring the same thing that I can bring right now. I bring a lot of offence and tape-to-tape plays from our zone to go to the offensive zone.”
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Logan Terness (G) – Ranked 25th among North American goalies by NHL Central Scouting
During the 2020-21 season, the 18-year-old Burnaby product finished fifth in the BCHL with a save percentage of .925 and ninth in the league with a goals-against average of 2.76. He went 7-5-0 in 12 starts in the pod season and had two shutouts.
He was spectacular the year prior. As a first-year player in 2019-20, Terness won the league’s Rookie of the Year award after leading all freshmen goalies in save percentage, goals-against average and wins. That year, his .932 save percentage was third-best in the league and put him into the top-10 list of all-time highest percentages in a single season.
“My ability to read the play is getting really good,” he said. “I’m pretty quick, so I can get side to side. Hockey is getting so fast, so players know they need to get the puck side to side. It’s hard to beat a goalie on a straight shot in pretty much any league. My ability to get side to side across the crease and to read the game, I think is what really helps me and will help me if I end up getting to that level.”
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Also ranked are several players that participated in the BCHL’s extended training season last year, including:
Jack Bar – Penticton Vees - Ranked 41st among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting
Ayrton Martino – Chilliwack Chiefs - Ranked 46th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting
Quinn Hutson – Penticton Vees - Ranked 177th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting
Owen Murray – Penticton Vees - Ranked 210th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting