McKim, who turned 16 in March, enjoyed a banner year with the York Simcoe Express minor midgets, winning the Ontario Minor Hockey Association championship along with the OHL Cup, a season-ending tournament for the top 20 minor midget AAA teams in Ontario and the U.S.
But because McKim is born and raised in Newfoundland, he is property, as it were, of the QMJHL, unless his family opted to make Ontario their residence and lean towards the Ontario Hockey League.
As a result, not a lot of QMJHL scouts spend time looking at the Ontario teams.
“I believe two Q teams were at the Marlies tournament we were in,” said the young centreman, “and of course the Excellence Challenge (an identification tournament for the top under-16s). Other than that, I don’t think scouts saw a lot of me.
“So I’m pretty happy to be ranked 31st.”
The QMJHL midget draft is set for June 4 in Charlottetown, P.E.I., and 14 Newfoundlanders are ranked from Rounds 1 through 12.
Eight Newfoundlanders were picked in the 2015 draft.
McKim isn’t alone in the second round. His teammate with the Express, forward Nick Gosse of C.B.S., is ranked in the third round, 44th overall.
McKim, Gosse and 15-year-old Alex Newhook, who plays for York’s major bantam AAA team, all attend St. Andrews College and live on campus.
McKim met with Halifax Mooseheads management at the league’s identification tournament earlier this month in Boisbriand, Que., and admits it would be “pretty cool” to be drafted by a club that holds the No. 1 overall selection in Charlottetown, and is in full rebuild mode.
“Quebec would be nice, too,” he said. “I talked to Saint John, but they have a lot of players coming back next year. Moncton has a lot of guys leaving, so they might have some roster openings.”
At 5-9 and 155 pounds, McKim has some growing to do, though he’s still young. There’s no one questioning his skills, however, following a 51-goal, 58-assist season in 80 games with the Express.
And he has pedigree. His father, Andrew, enjoyed a very good pro career in the American Hockey League and Europe, with stints in the NHL with Boston and Detroit.
Andrew McKim played in the QMJHL with Verdun and Hull (now Gatineau).
The third highest-ranked Newfoundlander is goalie Lucas Fitzpatrick, who hasn’t played in his native St. John’s in some time.
Fitzpatrick lives in Lower Sackville, N.S., and suited up for the Cole Harbour midgets last season.
His older brother, Evan, is the star goaltender for the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix, and was drafted fourth overall by Sherbrooke in 2014.
The elder Fitzpatrick is the top-ranked North American goalie in NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings.
OTHER RANKED PLAYERS
The remaining Newfoundlanders ranked by Central Scouting for the 2016 QMJHL Draft (with position and 2015-16 team in brackets)
Fifth round
• 80th overall, Devan Newhook (D, St. John’s Privateers)
• 85th overall, Tristan Gray (F, Tri-Pen Osprey)
• 86th overall, Kyle McGrath (F, St. John’s Maple Leafs)
• 89th overall, Liam Leonard, (F, St. John’s)
Rounds 6-8
(No specific rankings)
• Drew Bennett (F, St. John’s Privateers)
• Chris Murphy (F, St. John’s Privateers)
• Tim Noble (F, St. John’s Maple Leafs)
Rounds 9-12
(No specific rankings)
• Nick Abbott (F, Ontario Hockey Academy, Bonavista)
• Zack Bennett (F, St. John’s)
• Brent Broaders (F, Central IcePak)
• Lucas Osmond (D, St. John’s Maple Leafs)
McKim, who turned 16 in March, enjoyed a banner year with the York Simcoe Express minor midgets, winning the Ontario Minor Hockey Association championship along with the OHL Cup, a season-ending tournament for the top 20 minor midget AAA teams in Ontario and the U.S.
But because McKim is born and raised in Newfoundland, he is property, as it were, of the QMJHL, unless his family opted to make Ontario their residence and lean towards the Ontario Hockey League.
As a result, not a lot of QMJHL scouts spend time looking at the Ontario teams.
“I believe two Q teams were at the Marlies tournament we were in,” said the young centreman, “and of course the Excellence Challenge (an identification tournament for the top under-16s). Other than that, I don’t think scouts saw a lot of me.
“So I’m pretty happy to be ranked 31st.”
The QMJHL midget draft is set for June 4 in Charlottetown, P.E.I., and 14 Newfoundlanders are ranked from Rounds 1 through 12.
Eight Newfoundlanders were picked in the 2015 draft.
McKim isn’t alone in the second round. His teammate with the Express, forward Nick Gosse of C.B.S., is ranked in the third round, 44th overall.
McKim, Gosse and 15-year-old Alex Newhook, who plays for York’s major bantam AAA team, all attend St. Andrews College and live on campus.
McKim met with Halifax Mooseheads management at the league’s identification tournament earlier this month in Boisbriand, Que., and admits it would be “pretty cool” to be drafted by a club that holds the No. 1 overall selection in Charlottetown, and is in full rebuild mode.
“Quebec would be nice, too,” he said. “I talked to Saint John, but they have a lot of players coming back next year. Moncton has a lot of guys leaving, so they might have some roster openings.”
At 5-9 and 155 pounds, McKim has some growing to do, though he’s still young. There’s no one questioning his skills, however, following a 51-goal, 58-assist season in 80 games with the Express.
And he has pedigree. His father, Andrew, enjoyed a very good pro career in the American Hockey League and Europe, with stints in the NHL with Boston and Detroit.
Andrew McKim played in the QMJHL with Verdun and Hull (now Gatineau).
The third highest-ranked Newfoundlander is goalie Lucas Fitzpatrick, who hasn’t played in his native St. John’s in some time.
Fitzpatrick lives in Lower Sackville, N.S., and suited up for the Cole Harbour midgets last season.
His older brother, Evan, is the star goaltender for the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix, and was drafted fourth overall by Sherbrooke in 2014.
The elder Fitzpatrick is the top-ranked North American goalie in NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings.
OTHER RANKED PLAYERS
The remaining Newfoundlanders ranked by Central Scouting for the 2016 QMJHL Draft (with position and 2015-16 team in brackets)
Fifth round
• 80th overall, Devan Newhook (D, St. John’s Privateers)
• 85th overall, Tristan Gray (F, Tri-Pen Osprey)
• 86th overall, Kyle McGrath (F, St. John’s Maple Leafs)
• 89th overall, Liam Leonard, (F, St. John’s)
Rounds 6-8
(No specific rankings)
• Drew Bennett (F, St. John’s Privateers)
• Chris Murphy (F, St. John’s Privateers)
• Tim Noble (F, St. John’s Maple Leafs)
Rounds 9-12
(No specific rankings)
• Nick Abbott (F, Ontario Hockey Academy, Bonavista)
• Zack Bennett (F, St. John’s)
• Brent Broaders (F, Central IcePak)
• Lucas Osmond (D, St. John’s Maple Leafs)
