Lafreniere not planning to report to Rimouski

Alexis Lafreniere, the top prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft, will not be reporting to the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic  or head overseas to Europe later this year.

Instead, he will be heading straight to the camp of the NHL team that drafts him, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie.

Lafreniere, FCHockey’s top-ranked prospect for the 2020 draft, has been training in Boisbriand, QC near his hometown of Saint-Eustache. His plans are to report to the team to that drafts him for training camp, tentatively set for November 2020.

If the NHL does not start up its season in December or January as it currently aims to, the left winger will review his options at that time.

In the NHL’s Phase 2 Draft Lottery, the New York Rangers won the No. 1 pick in the draft.

“It’s been a really long last couple months but it’s really fun to know who won the lottery team,” Lafreniere said. “Really good team, obviously, with a lot of good players. I’m really happy.”

Lafreniere has spent the last three seasons with Rimouski, racking up 114 goals, 183 assists, and 297 points in 173 games.

Over that time, he’s won Canadian Hockey League’s rookie of the year award, and twice been named the CHL Player of the Year — becoming just the second player since Sidney Crosby to win that award twice.