A trio of Abbotsford hockey talents have made the final list for the NHL Central Scouting prospect rankings for the upcoming 2021 NHL Draft.
Abbotsford’s Jake Chiasson (61st), Graham Sward (117th) and Michael Milne (162nd) all appear in the rankings of the top North American skaters for the draft, which occurs on July 23 and 24 in a virtual format. The final list was posted on May 27.
Chiasson, a 6-2 centre, has spent the last two seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League. He collected 20 points in 23 games this season, a big improvement from the 15 points in 60 games he produced in 2019-20.
He was a first round draft pick by Brandon back in 2018, and was also a star performer for the Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford.
Sward, a 6-2 defender, has manned the blue line for the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs the past two seasons. He collected 17 points in 55 games in 2019-20 and one point in 11 games in 2020-21.
He is also a product of the YHA and spent time with the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds program. Sward was a member of Team Canada White at the U17 World Hockey Championships last year and was also recently recognized as an invitee Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 team selection camp.
Sward was chosen in the first round, 15th overall of the 2018 bantam draft by the Chiefs.
Milne, a 5-11 left winger, finished his third season with the WHL this year with the Winnipeg/Kootenay Ice. He scored five points in 39 games in 2018-19, 33 points in 53 games in 2019-20 and 12 points in 14 games in 2020-21.
Milne played minor hockey in Abbotsford before moving on to the YHA for his U15 year. He then played for the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds and was chosen by the Ice in the eighth round, 155th overall in the 2017 bantam draft.
The full list can be found at nhl.com/news/owen-power-tops-css-north-american-rankings-for-2021-nhl-draft/c-325012878.
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