• PROSPECT-UPDATE ARCHIVE
Six major-junior games were played on Wednesday night, and four of them were in the WHL. So it's no surprise that three of the five players on the draft prospects' top-performances list below are WHL guys.
As mentioned before, the WHL is not going to be a major producer of draft picks. It's safe to say that honor will likely go to the OHL, which has an abundance of talent this season. The old saying goes that a good year for Ontario is a good year for the NHL draft, and it is the strength of this province that's driving the North American market. Europe is also extremely strong this year -- another factor making this such a deep draft -- and many European junior leagues are already into their playoffs.
The three WHL players on Wednesday's top performances list are joined by one from the QMJHL and one from Minnesota high school hockey, which is already well into its postseason. Take a look at this top five:
ILIJAH COLINA -- Colina, a 5-foot-8 center, scored twice in Prince George's wild 7-6 win over Kelowna on Wednesday, and notched the dramatic game-winner. He tallied his first goal at 17:16 of the opening period, cutting the Rockets' lead to 3-1. His heroic moment came on a power play with only 18 seconds left in regulation, when he snapped a 6-6 tie with the game-winner. Colina, who began his season with Portland, now has 10 goals and 27 points in 58 WHL games, snapping a four-game scoring drought with his second two-goal performance since joining the Cougars. (Note: Third appearance on this list in 2017-18)
BEN HELGESON -- The University of Wisconsin recruit had a goal and two assists to lead Maplewood Hill-Murray to a 3-1 win over Stillwater in the Minnesota state sectional playoff semifinals on Wednesday. He assisted on a power-play goal at 13:32 of the first period to pull Hill-Murray into a 1-1 tie. He went on to assist on the game-winner at 12:10 of the third before closing out the game with a goal at 15:30. Helgeson, a 6-foot-0 center, had 18 goals and 31 points in 25 regular-season games. He now has a goal and three assists in two playoff games. (Note: Sixth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
JACOB HERAUF -- Herauf, a defenseman, recorded his first WHL three-point game in Red Deer's 3-2 win over Calgary on Wednesday. All three points were assists, beginning with the primary helper on the game's first goal at 9:10 of the opening period. Five minutes later at 14:07, Herauf assisted on a power-play goal for a 2-0 lead. He was at his best in overtime, assisting on another power-play goal that won it for the Rebels at the 2:12 mark. Herauf now has two goals and 18 points in 62 WHL games. This was not just his first three-point game, but it was also his first multi-point game of 2017-18.
MATHIAS LAFERRIERE -- Cape Breton edged Gatineau 6-5 in a barn-burner on Wednesday. The game ended in an OT shootout, but it wouldn't have gone that far without a monster three-point night by Laferriere. The 6-foot-1 center scored two goals and added an assist to earn No. 2 star honors. His first goal, at 14:40 of the second period, cut the Olympiques' early 4-0 lead down to 4-2. At 17:39 of the second, he assisted on a power-play goal to go up 4-3. He was huge in the third, scoring on a power play at 9:46 to force overtime. Although he was stopped in the shootout, Laferriere had to feel good about his performance, which ended a three-game scoring drought. It was his first multi-point game since Feb. 7 and his first two-goal game since Oct. 19. He now has 10 goals and 35 points in 59 QMJHL games. (Note: Fifth appearance on this list in 2017-18)
JACKSON LEPPARD -- Leppard had a goal and two assists in Prince George's 7-6 win over Kelowna to earn No. 2 star honors. His primary assist on a goal at 14:45 of the second period helped the Cougars cut the lead to 4-3. He later assisted on a game-tying goal to make it 4-4 at 6:05 of the third, and scored his own goal at 15:45 to give Prince George a short-lived 6-5 lead. This was Leppard's second three-point game of the season and his sixth multi-point game. He now has 14 goals and 31 points in 59 WHL appearances. (Note: Fifth appearance on this list in 2017-18)