It hasn’t exactly been a stellar season for the Kelowna Rockets so far.
There’s been more than a few bumps in the road for the team.
The Rockets have struggled at times, winning only 24 of 55 games so far this season.
But one bright spot for the Rockets in an otherwise lackluster campaign has been the play of rookie blue-liner Lassi Thomson.
The Finnish import has 15 goals and 20 assist for 35 points in 53 games, which puts him in fourth place in WHL rookie scoring. He’s also the only defenceman in top-15 rookie scoring.
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All while maintaining a plus-minus rating of plus-four. Not bad for a rookie who logs a lot of ice time every game.
While Thomson has taken some time to adjust to playing major-junior hockey, he really stepped up his game after being a late cut from the Finnish world junior team in December.
Thomson — fresh off an appearance in the CHL Top Prospects game in January — is ranked 14th overall by NHL Central Scouting for this year’s draft.
“This guy is an elite player. He’s going to be a first-round pick in the NHL draft and he’ll be a great big part of our Memorial Cup team next year,” said Kelowna Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton.
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