Penticton Vees defenceman Jonny Tychonick has been listed by the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting as a ‘B’ ranked skater for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
As per Central Scouting, a player listed as a ‘B’ ranked skater is a potential second- or third-round draft pick. Tychonick is off to what the Vees are calling a hot start with a goal and four points in five games, helping the team to a 5-0 start.
Tychonick will look to become the third Vees player drafted into the NHL in the last three seasons, joining Tyson Jost and Dante Fabbro, who were both selected in the first round in 2016. He would be the 32nd player drafted to the NHL directly from the Penticton franchise since 1979, when the NHL changed from the Amateur Draft to the Entry Draft.
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft takes place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas June 22 and 23.
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Tychonick, in his second year with the Vees, recorded three goals and 20 assists in 48 regular season games last year, before playing in all 21 playoff games, chipping in with four assists to help the Vees capture their fourth Fred Page Cup championship in the last four years. Tychonick impressed NHL scouts at the recent Bauer B.C. Hockey League Showcase in Chilliwack.
“Jonny Tychonick did a great job of showing who he is and how he has progressed from last year to this year as far as the NHL draft is concerned,” said Vees coach-general manager Fred Harbinson told the Western News after the BCHL Showcase. “Lots of NHL teams asking about him.”
Scouts like how much stronger the Calgary native is from the work he put in over the summer. Harbinson said he is physically more strong on his stick, which has led to a better shot. It is also leading to him having the ability to make hanging onto the puck a little longer.
Following the BCHL championship, Tychonick appeared in four games during the Western Canada Cup, helping Penticton reach the Junior A National Championship, the Royal Bank Cup in Cobourg, Ont. Tychonick would play in three games at the RBC Cup. He also represented Team Canada twice, once at the World Junior A Challenge in Bonnyville, Alta., and at the World Under-17 Hockey Championships in Fort St. John, B.C. In Bonnyville, Tychonick scored once and added two assists in five games for Team Canada West as they finished in fifth place. In Fort St. John, Tychonick skated in seven games for Team Canada White, recording four assists in a fourth place finish.
