Young hockey players dream of one day being selected in the NHL Draft, and that dream could soon become reality for several local athletes.
The NHL has released its Central Scouting final rankings, and five players from the area have made the list, including two from Komoka and three from London.
Beckham Edwards of Komoka is ranked 69th among North American skaters. The Sarnia Sting forward has recorded back-to-back 45-point seasons in the OHL. After scoring 25 goals as a rookie, he finished this season with 19 goals in 64 games.
Also from Komoka, Jacob Vandeven is ranked 190th. The defenceman had a strong season with the Komoka Kings, finishing third in team scoring with 32 points in 47 games. He was also among the top goal-scoring defencemen in the GOHL. Vandeven was drafted by the Owen Sound Attack in 2024 and later had his rights traded to the London Knights, where he saw limited action late in the season and in the playoffs. He is one of three GOHL players to see their name on the list.
Three players from London also made the rankings. Ryan Roobroeck of the Niagara Ice Dogs is ranked 28th, Eric Frossard of the Guelph Storm comes in at 68th, and Aiden Young of the Peterborough Petes is ranked at 223rd.
Written by: K. Milhomens
