“It’s been crazy. We’ve had at least 15 to 20 NHL scouts at each of our home games this fall.”
By Jim Mason/OJHL Communications
Five Ontario Junior Hockey League players are on NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary players to watch list released Wednesday.
In total, eight players from across the Canadian Junior Hockey League have been listed by the NHL – including the five OJHLers.
Simon (Haoxi) Wang of the OJHL’s King Rebellion leads the foursome with a B ranking. Players with B ratings are considered possible second- or third-round choices.
The 6-foot-5.5, 215-pound defenceman was the talk of the 170-plus scouts at the OJHL’s Governors’ Showcase in Niagara Falls, ON last month.
“It’s been crazy,” King Head Coach and GeneraMark Joslin told the OJHL Wednesday. “We’ve had at least 15 to 20 NHL scouts at each of our home games this fall. And Simon has already been interviewed by some of those NHL teams.”
The Beijing-born Wang is committed to NCAA Division I Boston University for 2026. In his second year with the franchise, he has registered 10 points in 14 outings for the Rebellion.
The four other OJHLers on the NHL list are ranked W, which indicates they are possible sixth- and seventh-round picks:
| W | Jonathan | Kapageridis | D | Cobourg Cougars | |
| W | Mikhail | Zakharov | C | King Rebellion | |
| W | Michael | Newlove | G | Georgetown Raiders | |
| W | Noah | Tegelaar | G | Collingwood Blues |
The list is a compilation of draft-eligible prospects from all the major development leagues throughout North America and Europe. It will be updated throughout the season as scouts evaluate players.
