Seven recognized by NHL Central Scouting

Seven North American Hockey League (NAHL) players were recognized on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's "Players to Watch" list for 2011 draft-eligibles released on Oct. 19.

The preliminary listing is comprised of players who have been identified by NHL Central Scouting using the following criteria: A Rating: A must-see player who is predicted to be a potential first- or second-round draft selection in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft; B Rating: A player to note if a scout is in the area, a potential selection in the third-to-fifth round; C Rating: A player that Central Scouting is tracking, a potential late-round selection in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

C-rated players from the NAHL include: Wenatchee Wild forwards Eliot Grauer and Evan Schmidbauer; Fairbanks Ice Dogs forwards Jared Linnell, a University of Alaska-Fairbanks (CCHA) recruit, and Tayler Munson; Alexandria Blizzard defenseman Paul Ladue; Amarillo Bulls defenseman Kyle Sucher, a Bowling Green State University (CCHA) recruit; and Dawson Creek Rage forward Jason Wark.

All seven players will compete in the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament, sponsored by SBK Hockey, which will be held from Dec. 5-7 at the Iorio Ice Arena in Walpole, Mass. For more information on the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament, visit NAHLTopProspects.com.

Sucher played in the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) last season as a member of the St. Louis Selects. He was named to the 18U All-NAPHL Second Team.

NHL Central Scouting will release its midseason rankings of 2011 draft-eligibles in January, followed by its final rankings in April.

The 2011 Entry Draft will be held from June 24-25, 2011 at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.