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NHL Central Scouting named six Owen Sound Attack players to its midterm rankings ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft.
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Pierce Mbuyi (No. 44), Cole Zurawski (No. 47), Wesley Royston (No. 51), Elliott Arnett (No. 127), Julian Brown (No. 197), and Nicholas Sykora (No. 221) all featured in the ranking of top North American skaters.
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Meanwhile, Attack draft pick, Jet Kwajah (No. 196), who is playing with the Madison Capitals in the USHL, also featured on the North American skaters list.
Owen Sound Attack import picks Alberts Smits (No. 2) and Lucian Bernat (No. 35) are ranked on the international skaters list.
A total of 200 current players from across the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) have been listed in NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings.
The CHL’s 200 players listed by NHL Central Scouting this year (up from 174 in 2025 — a 14.9 per cent increase) lead all development leagues worldwide, outpacing the combined 38 players from the USHL and U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP). In total, CHL players account for 75.9 per cent of the 262 North American players ranked on Monday — up roughly nine percentage points from last year.
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To view the lists, visit www.nhl.com.
TEAM WEST PREVAILS
Cole Zurawski made an impression with his hands — or at least his fists — during the 2026 Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game in Peterborough Friday night.
A sold-out crowd at the Peterborough Memorial Centre watched Team West top Team East, 4-3, thanks in large part to Saginaw’s Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit), who dazzled with a goal and two assists to earn the Connor McDavid 97 Award Player of the Game.
Zurawski was held off the scoresheet in the contest, but picked up a fighting major in the third period when he squared off with Peterborough’s Adam Levac.
Pierce Mbuyi served as an assistant captain for Team West and was a plus-two in the game.
Pierce Mbuyi celebrates with Egor Barabanov during the 2026 Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game in Peterborough on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2026. Photo from OHL Images
Egor Barabanov, Rylan Singh and late addition Layne Gallacher notched markers for Team West along with Klepov. For Team East, Ryder Cali netted a goal, and Peterborough’s Adam Novotny scored a pair.
The 2027 Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game will be held on January 20, 2027, at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre in Owen Sound.
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