Hey, what’s up Dach?! Well, for Colton Dach (pictured), it’s a meteoric rise into the conversation as a potential first round pick in the 2021 N-H-L Draft…that’s what’s up!

The 18-year-old Saskatoon Blades’ forward is ranked 19th amongst North American skaters in the final list compiled and released Thursday by N-H-L Central Scouting, fourth highest amongst W-H-L players. The 6’4″, 196-pound Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, product was a “C” rated prospect in Central Scouting’s initial Players to Watch list before the W-H-L embarked on its 2021 development season in the Regina hub. That translated into a between fourth-to-sixth round selection, but Dach turned heads by posting 11 goals amongst 20 points in 20 games for the Bridge City Bunch while playing both centre and right wing. His older brother, and former Blue and Gold star, Kirby Dach was taken third overall by Chicago in the 2019 Draft and has played the last two seasons in the N-H-L for the Blackhawks.

U of Michigan defenceman Owen Power, currently playing for Canada at the Double-I-H-F World Men’s Championship in Latvia, is ranked first overall.

Saskatoon product and Prince Albert Raider Carter Serhyenko is rated ninth amongst North American goaltenders with the Blades’ Koen MacInnes 31st.

The highest-ranked Saskatchewan skater is Yorkton native and Moose Jaw centre Ryder Korczak at 34th overall. Others ranked are Davidson product and P-A Raiders defenceman Nolan Allan at 40th, Warman native and Kamloops forward Josh Pillar is ranked 166th while another two spots further down at 168th is Regina product and Prince Albert blue-liner Landon Kosior.

This year’s 2021 Draft will be held virtually on July 23-24. Following is a news release from the Western Hockey League…

57 WHL PLAYERS NAMED TO
NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKINGS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League is proud to announce 57 WHL players have been named to NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for the 2021 NHL Draft.

Four WHL players sit among the top 19 North American skaters, while five WHL netminders are ranked inside the top 15 North American goaltenders. Ranked fifth among North American skaters, forward Dylan Guenther (Edmonton Oil Kings / Edmonton, Alta.) is the top-ranked WHL skater while his teammate Sebastian Cossa (Edmonton Oil Kings / Fort McMurray, Alta.) is the top-ranked North American goaltender.

WHL skaters joining Guenther inside the top 19 of North American skaters include forward Cole Sillinger (10th – Medicine Hat Tigers / Regina, Sask.), defenceman Carson Lambos (11^th – Winnipeg ICE / Winnipeg, Man.) and forward Colton Dach (19^th – Saskatoon Blades / Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.).

The WHL netminders featured in the top 15 of North American goaltenders include Cossa, Carter Serhyenko (Ninth – Prince Albert Raiders / Saskatoon, Sask.), Thomas Milic (10th – Seattle Thunderbirds / Coquitlam, B.C.), Talyn Boyko (12^th – Tri-City Americans / Drumheller, Alta.) and Braden Holt (15^th – Everett Silvertips / Bozeman, Mont.).

The Brandon Wheat Kings, Edmonton Oil Kings, Portland Winterhawks and Seattle Thunderbirds have the most players represented on the final rankings with five players each. The Moose Jaw Warriors and Winnipeg ICE each have four players listed. Overall, 18 WHL member Clubs have two or more WHL players on the rankings and 21 WHL member Clubs are represented with at least one player on the final list.
In all, 29 forwards, 19 defencemen, and nine goaltenders from the WHL are included in the rankings.

2021 NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKINGS – WHL PLAYERS
North American Skaters

PTW	Last Name	First Name	Team	Height	Weight	Position
5	Guenther	Dylan	Edmonton	6’2”	175	RW
10	Sillinger	Cole	Medicine Hat	6’0”	197	C
11	Lambos	Carson	Winnipeg	6’1”	197	D
19	Dach	Colton	Saskatoon	6’4”	196	C
31	Stankoven	Logan	Kamloops	5’8”	170	C
34	Korczak	Ryder	Moose Jaw	5’11”	174	C
36	Roulette	Conner	Seattle	5’11”	180	LW
40	Allan	Nolan	Prince Albert	6’2”	195	D
45	Zellweger	Olen	Everett	5’9”	175	D
51	Alarie	Eric	Moose Jaw	6’1”	197	LW
59	Tschigerl	Sean	Calgary	6’0”	189	LW
60	Ostapchuk	Zack	Vancouver	6’3”	205	C
61	Chiasson	Jake	Brandon	6’2”	165	C
63	Grubbe	Jayden	Red Deer	6’2”	200	C
71	Iorio	Vincent	Brandon	6’3”	191	D
77	Hanzel	Jeremy	Seattle	6’1”	185	D
86	Knak	Simon	Portland	6’1”	194	LW
88	Jordan	Cole	Moose Jaw	6’0”	173	D
90	Wong	Trevor	Kelowna	5’8”	154	LW
92	Samson	Ethan	Prince George	6’1”	180	D
93	Masters	Kyle	Red Deer	6’1”	175	D
102	Bankier	Caedan	Kamloops	6’2”	190	C
105	Pederson	Owen	Winnipeg	6’3”	205	C
111	O’Brien	Jack	Portland	6’1”	170	C
117	Sward	Graham	Spokane	6’2”	180	D
133	Luypen	Jalen	Edmonton	5’10”	155	C
141	McCleary	Ryan	Portland	6’2”	180	D
142	Krebs	Dru	Medicine Hat	5’11”	182	D
145	Lajoie	Marc	Tri-City	6’5”	226	D
149	Latimer	Carson	Edmonton	6’1”	181	RW
151	Ciona	Lucas	Seattle	6’3”	210	LW
160	Swetlikoff	Blake	Spokane	5’11”	177	LW
161	Kozak	Tyson	Portland	5’11”	173	C
162	Milne	Michael	Winnipeg	5’11”	185	LW
165	Galloway	Tyson	Calgary	6’3”	220	D
166	Pillar	Josh	Kamloops	6’0”	178	RW
168	Kosior	Landon	Prince Albert	5’11”	190	D
190	Stringer	Zack	Lethbridge	6’0”	155	LW
191	Ginnell	Riley	Brandon	6’4”	181	LW
192	Evans	Ryker	Regina	5’11”	189	D
197	Ritchie	Nolan	Brandon	5’8”	172	C
198	Peters	Ethan	Edmonton	6’2”	172	D
212	Klassen	Gabe	Portland	5’9”	162	C
219	Laroque	Gannon	Victoria	6’2”	200	D
223	Wanner	Maximus	Moose Jaw	6’3”	185	D
LV	Bentham	Nolan	Victoria	6’3”	200	D
LV	Brook	Jakob	Regina	6’2”	195	RW
LV	Uchacz	Kai	Seattle	6’1”	185	C

North American Goaltenders

PTW	Last Name	First Name	Team	Height	Weight	Position
1	Cossa	Sebastian	Edmonton	6’6”	210	G
9	Serhyenko	Carter	Prince Albert	6’4”	193	G
10	Milic	Thomas	Seattle	6’0”	170	G
12	Boyko	Talyn	Tri-City	6’7”	196	G
15	Holt	Braden	Everett	6’2”	160	G
18	Gauthier	Taylor	Prince George	6’1”	193	G
28	Alexander	Gage	Winnipeg	6’6”	205	G
31	MacInnes	Koen	Saskatoon	6’2”	195	G
32	Kruger	Ethan	Brandon	6’1”	181	G