ColoradoAvalanche.com is profiling draft-eligible prospects leading up to the 2017 NHL Draft in Chicago on June 23-24. Cale Makar is the No. 9-ranked North American skater in the NHL Central Scouting's final rankings. The Avalanche has the fourth overall selection at the draft.
Tyson Jost is proof that a player doesn't need to play major-junior hockey in Canada to get drafted and break into the NHL.
The Colorado Avalanche forward instead chose to play Junior A with the Penticton Vees in the British Columbia Hockey League, keeping his eligibility for the NCAA. Jost played at the University of North Dakota last season before making the decision to turn pro and sign with the Avs in March.
Jost isn't alone in that department of Canadian players that chose leagues other than the ones under the Canadian Hockey League umbrella. Other current NHLers who have gone that route include Andrew Cogliano (Anaheim Ducks), Kyle Turris (Ottawa Senators), Travis Zajac (New Jersey Devils) and the Avalanche's own Joe Colborne--further proof that if you're a good player, you will eventually be found by scouts.
Cale Makar, a 2017 draft-eligible defenseman, is another one of those Junior-A players that could one day make a name for himself in the NHL after an outstanding 2016-17 season with the Brooks Bandits in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Makar Following Jost's Path To The NHL
The puck-moving defenseman helped the Brooks Bandits to back-to-back AJHL championships
© Emily Rose Duncan
© Emily Rose Duncan/Brooks Bandits
© Emily Rose Duncan/Brooks Bandits