Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

Catching the eye of NHL scouts

Rockets Hiroki Gojsic showcasing his talents

Jan 16, 2024 | 8:00 AM

Hiroki Gojsic is an attractive prospect.

He is big, possesses a long reach, and has a terrific shot.

Is it any wonder the 17-year-old member of the Kelowna Rockets, who doesn’t turn 18 until May 1^st, is rated 94^th in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm ranking released last Friday.

That would make him either a late third or fourth-round selection.

“I didn’t know where I would be slotted on the rankings at first, but now I know where I am at and will use it as motivation to get better,” Gojsic told RocketFAN.

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One of 60 Western Hockey League players named to NHLCS’s list of North American prospects eligible for the 2024 draft, Gojsic is one of 37 forwards identified. In the 2023 draft, 33 WHL players had their names called, including Kelowna Rockets forward Andrew Cristall in the second-round by the Washington Capitals.

“I just try to be the best I can be,” Gojsic continued, not wanting to look at players ahead of him in the rankings that he would consider inferior. “There are a lot of good players out there, and I just want to be one of them.”

With nine goals this season, the soft-spoken forward, who is a fan of the Vancouver Canucks and specifically forward Elias Pettersson, is on pace to score 15 goals and collect 35 points.

“I started a bit slow,” he admitted after playing limited minutes with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees in 2022-2023. “The adjustment took longer than I expected, but I think I’ve picked up the pace now.”

Things looked promising back in late September when Gojsic scored two goals in his opening three games. With only one goal in the next 17, the confidence level of the slam dunk choice as Kelowna Rockets rookie of the year took a hit before scoring twice in a win against the Regina Pats to open an Eastern Division road trip.

“On that trip, he woke up,” Head Coach Kris Mallette added. “He is playing with some confidence. He is scoring some goals and while he still has some warts to his game, he works hard and is using his size better.

“He can get moving. That frame can move at a high rate of speed, and now he is getting some looks on the power play. He has good offensive touch. But it isn’t easy to jump right in from junior A to us.”

Since the Christmas break, Gojsic has had three goals in his last eight games, despite playing two of them this past weekend in Prince George without linemate Tij Iginla who was sidelined with an injury.

“I try to get ‘Iggy’ the puck as much as I can,” Gojsic admitted. “I could definitely shoot more for sure, but he just knows where he needs to be. He knows how to think the game and he is obviously super skilled. I think the best thing about him is he wants the puck all the time, which is really good.”

Iginla, who leads the Rockets with 27 goals, is rated 11^th by Central Scouting and could be a first-round pick when NHL teams gather to make their selections, June 28-29 at the Sphere in Vegas.

“Tij has an elite shot, but Hiroki’s is sneaky heavy,” Kris Mallette added. “I would like to see him use it a lot more.

“Those two are going to score a lot of goals for this organization in the future.”