Two Cowichan Valley minor hockey products made the final cut when the final NHL Central Scouting draft rankings were released on April 12.
Defenceman Josh Anderson, now with the Prince George Cougars, was ranked 60th among North American skaters, while left wing Jordan Topping of the Tri-City Americans was ranked 176th.
Anderson was ranked 62nd at midseason, and moved up despite a back injury that ended his season prematurely in January.
The Duncan-raised six-foot-two, 220-pound blueliner wrapped up his second full year in WHL with one goal, five assists and 86 penalty minutes in 39 games this year after recording two goals, two helpers and 52 penalty minutes in 2014-15.
He was drafted out of Cowichan third overall in the 2013 WHL bantam draft, and spent the 2013-14 campaign with the major midget South Island Royals, scoring one goal and setting up 13 others over 34 games while spending 72 minutes in the sin bin.
Topping, who checks in at five-foot-11 and 170 pounds, was unranked at midseason. The Saltspring Island product also just finished his second year in the WHL after being picked 75th overall in the 2012 bantam draft. He had 66 points this season on 32 goals and 34 assists over 72 games, along with 76 penalty minutes, a big increase over the 10 goals and eight assists he recorded in 56 games the previous season.
Topping spent 2013-14 with the junior A Cowichan Valley Capitals, putting up 10 goals and five assists for 15 points in 51 contests. His younger brother Kyle played the 2015/16 season with the Capitals, recording five goals and seven assists in 53 games. Kyle was selected by the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets 226th overall in the 2014 bantam draft.
