Erie Otters right wing Alexander DeBrincat doesn't have Connor McDavid or Dylan Strome as teammates this season, but after delivering a record-setting five-goal performance in a 6-1 victory against the Niagara IceDogs on Thursday in St. Catharines, Ontario, it might not matter.
DeBrincat (5-foot-7, 163 pounds), an A-rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's September players to watch list and projected first-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, is the first player in the 20-year history of the Otters to score five goals in a regular-season game.
The only other Erie player to score five times in a game was McDavid in a 2015 Ontario Hockey League playoff game last season against the London Knights.
McDavid (No. 1, Edmonton Oilers) and Strome (No. 3, Arizona Coyotes) were two of the first three players picked at the 2015 draft and remain with their NHL teams.
DeBrincat's fifth goal came 9:50 into the third period. Right wing Taylor Raddysh, a B-rated skater on NHL Central Scouting's players to watch list, assisted on three of DeBrincat's five goals.
"DeBrincat will be one of the more intriguing prospects scouted this year," said Dan Marr, Director of NHL Central Scouting. "He has an obvious and unique skill set which combines well with his tenacity to score. While his size is not an asset, it's not affected him from being able to consistently generate offense for his team. Much like Brian Gionta and Stephen Gionta and Johnny Gaudreau, he has the potential to be one of those special players that finds his way to the NHL."
His big night gives him an OHL-highs of six goals and seven points in two games.
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