Penticton Vees forward Bradly Nadeau is ranked among the top players eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft.
The Vees’ leading scorer from this season is ranked No. 17 for North American skaters on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s final list ahead of this June’s draft in Nashville, Tenn.
Nadeau is one of three current Vees to crack the list, along with Aydar Suniev (No. 40) and Ryan Hopkins (No. 199).
A trio of future Vees, Larry Keenan, Francesco Dell’Elce and Jonathan Castagna, are also ranked and eligible to be selected by NHL squads this summer at No. 73, 90 and 91. All three Penticton recruits have already committed to NCAA schools.
The 2023 NHL Draft is set for June 28 and 29.
Nadeau led the B.C. Hockey League in scoring in 2022-2023, amassing 113 points in 54 games.
Central Scouting ranks the 17-year-old second among BCHL North American skaters eligible for this year’s NHL Draft, only behind Victoria Grizzlies forward Matthew Wood (No. 4).
Suniev, meanwhile, sits among the leading candidates to capture the league’s rookie-of-the-year award after posting 90 points in 50 games in 2022-2023.
Hopkins finished third in defenceman scoring with 49 points and was recently named a BCHL second-team all-star.
Penticton completed a sweep Wednesday, April 19, of the Wenatchee Wild in the playoffs’ second round and awaits the winner of the Vernon Vipers and Salmon Arm Silverbacks series.
READ MORE: Penticton Vees sweep Wenatchee Wild, advance to Interior Conference Finals
@lgllockhart
logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com