Ben King (right) and Christoffer Sedoff hope to have their names called at this week's 2020 NHL Draft. (Photos: Red Deer Rebels/Rob Wallator)

By Troy Gillard

Hoping to start a new streak

Three Rebels on the board for the 2020 NHL Draft

Oct 5, 2020 | 11:53 AM

The Red Deer Rebels are hoping to begin a new streak this week after an impressive one came to an end last year.

The Rebels did not have a player selected at the 2019 NHL Draft – a first in the 27-year history of the franchise.

Russian-born forward Oleg Zaytsev was the lone Rebels player included in last year’s draft rankings and played in the CHL Top Prospects game in Red Deer. But Zaytsev was passed over in the draft and is now playing professional hockey in his home country.

The odds of last year being a “one-off” appear promising as the Rebels have three players listed in the NHL Central Scouting Service final rankings for this year’s draft.

Finnish-born defenceman Christoffer Sedoff is ranked 50^th among North American Skaters. In his first season of North American hockey with the Rebels in 2019-20, the six-foot-one, 190-pound blue liner had 19 points and 40 penalty minutes in 61 games played.

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Rebels centre Ben King is the 121^st ranked North American Skater. The six-foot-two, 194-pound Vernon, B.C. native collected 38 points in 46 games with the Rebels in 2019-20 after being acquired via trade from the Swift Current Broncos (where he had eight points in 16 games to start the season).

It’s also possible – perhaps likely – that the Rebels could have one of their players drafted into the NHL before he even plays a game for the team. Tomas Chlubna, selected by the Rebels in the 2020 CHL Import Draft, is ranked 52^nd among European Skaters. With the 2020-21 WHL season slated to start in December at the earliest, Chlubna has yet to suit up for the Rebels.

Round one of the 2020 NHL Draft, which is being held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, goes Tuesday night followed by rounds two through seven on Wednesday.