NHL releases mid-season rankings for 2008 Entry Draft

Center Steve Stamkos has 51 points in 32 games for the Sarnia Sting this season.

TORONTO -- Center Steven Stamkos and defenseman Drew Doughty, two key members of Canada's gold-medal team at the recently-completed IIHF World Junior Championships, are the top-ranked skaters for North American clubs in the NHL Central Scouting Service mid-season ranking of players eligible for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, June 20-21 in Ottawa.

Stamkos, ranked by NHL Central Scouting as the top skater playing in North America, was fourth on Team Canada in scoring with six points (one goal, five assists) in seven tournament games. The 6-1, 183-lb. native of Unionville, Ontario also has recorded 51 points (30 goals, 21 assists) in 32 games with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League.

CSS Mid-Term Rankings: N. Amer. Skaters | Alpha N. Amer. Goalies European Skaters | Alpha European Goalies Full NHL Entry Draft coverage * You will need Adobe Acrobat reader to view the rankings. Download it here:

Doughty, the #2-ranked North American skater, contributed four assists in seven games during Canada's gold-medal run. The 6-0, 213-lb. native of London, Ontario has posted 31 points (seven goals, 24 assists) in 30 games with the OHL Guelph Storm.

Joining Stamkos and Doughty among the top North American skaters are: #3 Zach Bogosian (Massena, N.Y.), a defenseman with the Peterborough Petes (OHL) and the top-rated U.S.-born skater in the rankings; #4 Kyle Beach (Kelowna, B.C.), a center with the Everett Silvertips (WHL); and #5 Alex Pietrangelo (King City, Ont.), a defenseman with the Niagara IceDogs (OHL).

Chet Pickard (Winnipeg, Man.) of the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League is the top-rated North American goaltender, while left wing Nikita Filatov (Moscow, Russia) of Russian Super League club CSKA and goaltender Harri Sateri (Toijala, Finland) with Tappara of the Finnish junior league are the top-ranked skater and goaltender, respectively, in Europe.

The mid-season ranking features the top 210 skaters and 30 goaltenders in North America and top 170 skaters and 15 goaltenders from Europe.

In its 32nd year of operation, the NHL Central Scouting Service provides scouting and evaluation of draft-eligible players to NHL member clubs. Headed by Director of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire, NHL Central Scouting employs nine full-time and 12 part-time scouts throughout North America and works with Goran Stubb of the European Scouting Service and his staff of five full-time scouts to cover prospects playing throughout Europe. Combined, the NHL Central Scouting and European Scouting Service will see more than 3,000 games this season.