It appears Arizona-raised Auston Matthews — the Connor McDavid of the 2016 NHL draft — has indeed eliminated the NCAA and major-junior and will play next season in Europe as a professional.
The University of Denver was in the hunt for Matthews, 17, who was fast-tracking academically to be eligible to begin college this season, but the Pioneers are still alive in the recruitment of two other probable 2016 top-10 picks: Canadians Tyson Jost and Dante Fabbro, who both will play another year of junior-A next season and keep their NCAA eligibility intact.
Jost, a forward from St. Albert, Alberta, and Fabbro, a defenseman from Coquitlam, B.C., are teammates with the Penticton Vees of the BCHL — the junior-A league with alumni including former all-everything DU defenseman Joey LaLeggia. They were 16-year-old rookie stars for the Vees in 2014-15, with Jost producing a team-tying-high 23 goals (plus a team-most 10 in the playoffs) and Fabbro chipping in 33 points in 44 regular-season games as the youngest player on the team. Fabbro’s 17th birthday is today (Saturday June 20); Jost turned 17 in March.
Jost informed DU and North Dakota on Friday that if he chooses college, he will pick the Pioneers or (formerly) Fighting Sioux. Fabbro has DU and a handful of other perennial powers on his list.
The last Penticton player picked in the first round of the NHL draft was Beau Bennett in 2010, months before he began began a two-year stint at Denver.
NEWS: Tyson Jost named Captain for the 2015-16 season, Dante Fabbro named an Assistant:
— Penticton Vees (@PentictonVees)
Bennett is an American. Signing Jost and/or Fabbro would be huge news for DU, the NCAA and the Canadian Hockey League (WHL, OHL, QMJHL). The CHL isn’t accustomed to losing players of this caliber to the NCAA. Former Wisconsin Badgers Dany Heatley and Kyle Turris are the most recent that come to mind. Heatley was drafted No. 2 overall in 2000 and Turris No. 3 in 2007. Stay tuned.
