Six current and future Vees named to NHL Central Scouting’s final draft rankings
PENTICTON, B.C. – The NHL Central Scouting Bureau released their final rankings for the 2023 NHL Draft Tuesday, and six current and future Penticton Vees are ranked.
Bradly Nadeau is ranked 17th among North American Skaters, Aydar Suniev is 40th, and Ryan Hopkins is ranked 199th. Recruits Larry Keenan (73), Francesco Dell’Elce (90), and Jonathan Castagna (91) also cracked the final rankings.
Bradly Nadeau- 17th
Nadeau, 17, leads the BCHL Playoffs in scoring with 15 points (10G-5A) in six games. His 10 goals ranks second. The left-winger was the top scorer in the BCHL in the regular season, as he amassed 113 points (45G-68A) in 54 games. His 45 goals tied teammate Aydar Suniev for top spot in the league and he had a BCHL-best 68 helpers. Nadeau was named a BCHL First-Team All-Star. He was ranked 19th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s mid-season Draft Rankings in January. Nadeau is committed to the University of Maine.
Aydar Suniev- 40th
Suniev, 18, has nine points (3G-6A) in six playoff games, as he sits fourth on the Vees in playoff scoring. Suniev finished third in BCHL scoring in the regular season, behind Bradly and Josh Nadeau, as he had 90 points (45G-45A) in 50 games. His 45 goals were tied for the most in the BCHL. He also led all Rookies in scoring. Suniev was named to a BCHL First-Team All-Star and named to the league’s All-Rookie Team. Suniev is committed to the University of Massachusetts.
Ryan Hopkins- 199th
Hopkins, 19, finished third in defencemen scoring in the BCHL with 49 points (10G-39A) in 48 games. The 6’1, 183-pound blueliner led all defencemen with 27 power play assists. He was named a BCHL Second-Team All-Star. Hopkins has five points (0G-5A) in three playoffs games.
Recruits
Dell’Elce and Castagna both played at St. Andrew’s College (SAC) in Ontario. Castagna finished third in team scoring with 72 points (29G, 43A) in 50 games. The forward is committed to Cornell University. Dell’Elce led all SAC defencemen in scoring with 62 points (20G, 42A) in 51 games. The 6’1, 167-pound defender is committed to the University of Massachusetts.
Keenan played US High School Prep at Culver Military Academy in Indiana. The 6’3, 185-pound rear guard finished second on his team in scoring with 29 points (9G, 20A) in 29 games. The Midhurst, ON, product is also committed to the University of Massachusetts.
The 2023 NHL Draft is scheduled for June 28-29, 2023, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN.