Top d-man prospect Chase Reid of the OHL’s Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds (4th ranked North American skater) recently sustained an upper-body injury in a Feb.1 game against the Brantford Bulldogs. Thankfully, the injury is day-to-day, and he will likely miss just one more contest on Wednesday before returning to the playoff-bound Greyhounds’ lineup.
As most of you probably already know, Penn State University’s Gavin McKenna (1st ranked North American skater) encountered some legal trouble recently. McKenna originally was charged with felony aggravated assault after breaking a man’s jaw in a barroom altercation following Penn State’s Jan. 31 outdoor game against Michigan State University. The felony charge was withdrawn, presumably due to this being a case where the assault was a response to the man referring to McKenna’s mother (who was present) as a “whore.” McKenna still faces misdemeanor charges of simple assault, disorderly conduct, and harassment, and is scheduled to be in court for a preliminary hearing on March 11.
Windsor Spitfires d-man Carson Woodall (217th ranked North American skater) has announced his commitment to attend Boston College in 2026-27. Once thought of strictly as an offensive d-man, Woodall has transformed his game into becoming a skater with a reliable two-way game. To that end, not only does Woodall have 55 points (10G 45A) through 52 games this season, his continued defensive improvement has allowed him to garner a plus/minus rating of +17 this year, up from -24 two seasons ago.
Regina Pats’ forward Zach Lansard has steadily climbed the draft chart in his second WHL season. Considered a late-round pick on the NHL’s preliminary players to watch list, now he is the 72nd ranked North American skater on the NHL’s midterm rankings. This puts Lansard squarely in line as a potential third round choice. This is owing to the substantial increase in his on-ice production (40 points on 17 goals & 23 assists through 48 games), inspired by his late mother Pauline. She succumbed to cancer a year ago, and attached is a link to an article wherein he discusses his struggles.