BROOKS, AB (April 11, 2017) — Brooks Bandits defenceman Cale Makar has been ranked 9th among all North American skaters for the upcoming 2017 NHL Draft, NHL Central Scouting announced today.
It’s the highest ranking Makar has reached, and represents his final evaluation by Central Scouting prior to the draft. No North American defenceman was ranked higher than was Makar. In the agency’s midterm rankings, Makar was ranked 10th, while the pre-season rankings had him rated as an “A” prospect, indicating a potential first-round draft pick.
If selected in the first round, Makar would become just the fourth player in Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) history to be selected in the first round, after Brent Sutter in 1980, Joe Colborne in 2008, and Dylan Olsen in 2009. No AJHL player has even been drafted directly out of the league higher than 16th overall.
Makar, 18, led all AJHL defencemen in scoring this season with 75 points (24 goals, 51 assists) in 54 games, ranking 6th in the overall scoring race. He captained Team Canada West at the annual World Junior A Challenge tournament, and was named AJHL Outstanding Defenceman as well as Most Valuable Player for the 2016-17 season. He is currently committed to attend and play for the University of Massachusetts.
Makar will be back in action on Friday night as the Bandits host the Whitecourt Wolverines in Game 1 of the 2017 AJHL Final, beginning at 7:00 PM at the Centennial Regional Arena. Tickets are available online at tickets.brooksbandits.ca.