Three current Brooks Bandits have been identified on the NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings list, which was released on Friday.
Forward Logan Sawyer is ranked 91st amongst North American skaters eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft. Defenceman Mathieu Taillefer is ranked 176th , while forward Nathan Free is ranked 185th. Future Bandit Marko Bilic, who signed with the team for the 2024-25 season, was ranked 15th amongst North American goaltenders. Another future Bandit, forward Jack Good, is ranked 219th.
Sawyer (Calgary, AB) is currently fifth in AJHL scoring with 52 points (22G, 30A) in 36 games, and leads all first-year players in scoring. He’s scored six game-winning goals this season, and is a five-time winner of the AJHL Rookie of the Week Award. He’s committed to Providence.
Taillefer (Lake Newell, AB) is 12th in scoring amongst first-year defenceman in the AJHL with 11 points (2G, 9A) through 28 games. He’s committed to Penn State.
Free (Calgary, AB) is 12th in the AJHL in goal scoring with 19 goals to go along with his 22 assists. The Penn State commit is second in the AJHL in powerplay goals with 12.
All three players won Gold with Team Canada West at the 2023 World Junior A Challenge in Truro, NS.
Bilic is currently attending Cushing Academy in the United States High School Prep League , while Good is playing at St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, ON.
The 2024 NHL Draft is scheduled for June 28-29. Macklin Celebrini (Boston University) is ranked 1st amongst North American skaters; he’s the younger brother of former Bandits defenceman Aiden Celebrini.