Nine Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) players were identified on NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch List released today. The list is a compilation of 2024 draft-eligible prospects from all the major development leagues throughout North America and Europe, which will be updated throughout the season as scouts evaluate players.
Players on the list with ‘A’ ratings are considered potential first round picks. Players with ‘B’ ratings are considered possible second / third round choices, players with ‘C’ ratings are potential fourth / fifth round picks, and those with ‘W’ ratings indicate a ‘watch’ player for potential sixth / seventh round consideration and players with a limited scouting history and games played.
Brooks Bandits forward Logan Sawyer received a ‘C’ rating, with all other AJHL players ranked as ‘W’. The AJHL players identified represent five different teams. A total of 15 players from the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) were included on the list.
| Player | Pos | AJHL Team | College | |
| Logan | Sawyer | C | Brooks Bandits | Providence College |
| Nathan | Free | RW | Brooks Bandits | Penn State |
| Mathieu | Taillefer | D | Brooks Bandits | Penn State |
| Gavin | Garland | C | Calgary Canucks | University of Nebraska Omaha |
| Lucas | Lemieux | D | Camrose Kodiaks | RPI |
| Easton | Adrian | D | Drumheller Dragons | RPI |
| Coy | Pighin | C | Drumheller Dragons | Colorado College |
| Diego | Johnson | RW | Sherwood Park Crusaders | University of Wisconsin |
| Ryan | Zaremba | C | Sherwood Park Crusaders | University of Minnesota Duluth |
2023-24 NHL Players to Watch list PDF
Three AJHL players were selected in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, adding to the total of 101 players that have been drafted directly from the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Cale Makar of the Brooks Bandits is the highest-ever drafted player from the Alberta Junior Hockey League, chosen fourth overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft.
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is expected to be held in June 2024 in Las Vegas.
