OKOTOKS, AB – Okotoks Oilers forward Rieger Lorenz (Calgary, AB) is the highest-ranked NHL Draft prospect in the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), after NHL Central Scouting released its Midterm Rankings today.
Lorenz, 17, topped all AJHL and CJHL players, slotting in at 24th among North American skaters in the agency’s Round 1 category.
His teammate, fellow forward Bowden Singleton (Calgary, AB), 17, also cracked the rankings at 192nd in North America, on the Round 6 list.
The Oilers’ rankings comprised two of the three AJHL players selected by Central Scouting for the list, and two of the fourteen total chosen across the CJHL so far this season. Both were included on the initial Players to Watch list this season, with Lorenz receiving a B ranking and Singleton a C.
Lorenz’s star has risen considerably in recent weeks, with his second selection of the season today as AJHL Rookie of the Week coming shortly after his being named the AJHL Player of the Month for December. With 63 points (26 goals, 37 assists) in 40 games played, Lorenz leads all AJHL rookies in goals, and sits fourth in the overall scoring race. The University of Denver commit is currently riding a career-best ten-game point scoring streak, with 22 points scored in that span.
Singleton, a commit to the University of North Dakota, returns to the Central Scouting rankings after a similarly strong finish to 2021 and start to 2022. Recording 48 points (19 goals, 29 assists) in 40 games, he is the ninth-highest scoring player in the AJHL, is its third-highest scoring rookie, and also leads the league in shorthanded goals with three.
The Oilers will host the Sherwood Park Crusaders on Friday night at Pason Centennial Arena looking for a third consecutive win on home ice. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM with tickets available online at tickets.okotoksoilers.ca.
Photos: Chad Goddard Photography