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TORONTO – Windsor Spitfires center Jason Spezza is the
top-rated North American skater for the 2001 NHL
draft, the league announced Wednesday.
A 6-2, 204-pound native of Mississauga, Ontario, Spezza has 20
goals and 34 assists in 27 games and is among the scoring
leaders in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was a member of
the Canadian team that won the bronze medal at the recent World
Junior Championships in Moscow and was named to the all-tournament team.
The midseason rankings are compiled by the NHL's Central
Scouting Service and feature the top 240 skaters and top 30
goaltenders in North America along with the top 100 skaters and
top seven goaltenders in Europe.
The 2001 draft will be held on June 23-24 in Sunrise, Florida.
Plymouth Whalers center Stephen Weiss is ranked second among
North American skaters. The 5-11½, 178-pound native of
Toronto is third in the OHL in scoring with 26 goals and 33
assists in 36 games.
Prince George Cougars defenseman Dan Hamhuis is third, with Ohio
State center R.J. Umberger as the top-ranked U.S. college player at No. 4. Swift Current Broncos right wing
Duncan Milroy rounds out the top five.
The top-rated North American goaltending prospect is Pascal
Leclaire of the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Left wing Ilja Kovalchuk of Spartak is the top European skating
prospect. Center Alexander Svitov, a teammate of Kovalchuk on
the Russian National junior team, is rated second. Center Mikko
Koivu, the younger brother of Montreal Canadiens captain Saku
Koivu, is ranked fifth.
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TOP 10 NORTH AMERICAN SKATERS
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Rk
|
Name
|
Team (League)
|
Birthdate
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Pos.
|
Shot
|
|
1.
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Jason Spezza
|
Windsor (OHL)
|
Jun. 13, 1983
|
6-2
|
204
|
C
|
R
|
|
2.
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Stephen Weiss
|
Plymouth (OHL)
|
April 3, 1983
|
5-11½
|
178
|
C
|
L
|
|
3.
|
Dan Hamhuis
|
Prince George (WHL)
|
Dec. 12, 1982
|
6-0½
|
195
|
D
|
L
|
|
4.
|
R.J. Umberger
|
Ohio State (CCHA)
|
May 3, 1982
|
6-1½
|
198
|
C
|
L
|
|
5.
|
Duncan Milroy
|
Swift Current (WHL)
|
Feb. 8, 1983
|
6-0
|
175
|
RW
|
R
|
|
6.
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Ryan Whitney
|
U.S. National U-18
|
Feb. 19, 1983
|
6-4
|
200
|
D
|
L
|
|
7.
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Jay Harrison
|
Brampton (OHL)
|
Nov. 3, 1982
|
6-3
|
200
|
D
|
L
|
|
8.
|
Marc Popovic
|
Toronto-St. Mike's
|
Oct. 11, 1982
|
6-1
|
194
|
D
|
L
|
|
9.
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Mike Komisarek
|
Michigan (CCHA)
|
Jan. 19, 1982
|
6-4
|
232
|
D
|
R
|
|
10.
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Tim Gleason
|
Windsor (OHL)
|
Jan. 29, 1983
|
6-½
|
199
|
D
|
L
|
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TOP 10 NORTH AMERICAN GOALTENDERS
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|
Rk
|
Name
|
Team (League)
|
Birthdate
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Pos.
|
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1.
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Pascal Leclaire
|
Halifax (QMJHL)
|
Nov. 7, 1982
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6-1
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185
|
L
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2.
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Daniel Blackburn
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Kootenay (WHL)
|
May 20, 1983
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6-0
|
180
|
L
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3.
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Daniel Boisclair
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Cape Breton (QMJHL)
|
Nov. 2, 1982
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6-1
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186
|
L
|
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4.
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Adam Munro
|
Erie (OHL)
|
Nov. 12, 1982
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6-1
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187
|
L
|
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5.
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Michael Garnett
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Red Deer (WHL)
|
Nov. 25, 1982
|
6-1
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185
|
L
|
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TOP 10 EUROPEAN SKATERS
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|
Rk
|
Name
|
Team (League)
|
Birthdate
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Pos.
|
Shot
|
|
1.
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Ilja Kovalchuk
|
Spartak (Russia)
|
April 15, 1983
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6-2
|
202
|
W
|
R
|
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2.
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Alexander Svitov
|
Omsk (Russia)
|
Nov. 3, 1982
|
6-3
|
198
|
C
|
L
|
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3.
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Tuomo Ruutu
|
Jokerit (Finland)
|
Feb. 16, 1983
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6-2
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196
|
C/W
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L
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4.
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Mikko Koivu
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TPS (Finland)
|
March 12, 1983
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6-2
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178
|
C
|
L
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5.
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Stanislav Chistov
|
Omsk (Russia)
|
April 17, 1983
|
5-10
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169
|
W
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R
|
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6.
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Fredrik Sjostrom
|
Frolunda (Sweden)
|
May 6, 1983
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6-0
|
198
|
W
|
L
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7.
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Egor Shastin
|
Omsk (Russia)
|
Sept. 10, 1982
|
5-10
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167
|
W
|
L
|
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8.
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Alexander Perejougin
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Omsk (Russia)
|
Aug. 10, 1983
|
5-11
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178
|
W
|
L
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9.
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Jiri Novotny
|
Budejovice (Czech)
|
Aug. 12, 1983
|
6-2
|
189
|
C
|
R
|
|
10.
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Alexander Polushin
|
Tver (Russia)
|
May 8, 1983
|
6-2
|
187
|
W
|
L
|
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TOP 10 EUROPEAN GOALTENDERS
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Rk
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Name
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Team (League)
|
Birthdate
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Ht.
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Wt.
|
Pos.
|
|
1.
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Tomas Duba
|
Sparta Jr. (Czech)
|
July 2, 1981
|
6-0
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176
|
L
|
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2.
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Andrei Medvedev
|
Spartak (Russia)
|
April 1, 1983
|
6-0
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220
|
L
|
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3.
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Tuomas Nissinen
|
Kalpa Jr. (Finland)
|
July 17, 1983
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6-0
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176
|
L
|
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4.
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Kristoffer Olsson
|
Brynas (Sweden)
|
April 18, 1983
|
5-9
|
147
|
L
|
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5.
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Mathias Schoder
|
Winterthur (Switz.)
|
July 20, 1982
|
5-11
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161
|
L
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