BEAVER BANK: Two local hockey prospects from the Beaver Bank and Fall River area find themselves on the Central Scouting List for QMJHL draft eligible players.
Forward Ryan Francis and goaltender Nolan Boyd, both students at Lockview High, are among the prospects the 18 teams in the QMJHL can choose from—or go off the board—and choose during the 14-round draft, set for June 3 in Saint John.
Francis, who suited up with the Cole Harbour Wolfpack, is ranked to go in the fourth round of the draft, while Boyd, who backstopped the Steele Subaru’s to a second place finish, losing to eventual TELUS Cup champion Cape Breton West Islanders, is projected to go between rounds six and eight.
As learned in past years, just because a player is on the list doesn’t guarantee they will be drafted, or they will be taken where the scouts with QMJHL Central Scouting projected they would go.
At last year’s draft, Andrew Coxhead of Fall River was projected to go in the top bit, but fell down before being selected by the Quebec Remparts after they made a trade for the pick they took him with.
Francis has had a great season, and continued that with Team N.S. at the GATORADE Excellence Challenge Cup, as did Boyd. N.S. came home in fifth place, playing a lot of close games.
At the Challenge, Francis tallied two goals and 10 points in five games, finishing fourth in scoring for the tournament.
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com
