Ohio State’s Ryan Kesler Ranked 16th in NHL’s CSS Rankings – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
May 20, 2003
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State men’s hockey freshman forward Ryan Kesler (Livonia, Mich./U.S. National Team Development Program) is ranked 16th among North American skaters (forwards and defensemen) in the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting Service final rankings of prospects for the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
The 2003 NHL Entry Draft will be held June 21-22 at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tenn. It will be televised live on ESPN2 from 1-4 p.m.
Kesler is the highest-rated player from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). He is third among all collegians, behind only third-ranked Thomas Vanek of Minnesota and ninth-ranked Zach Parise of North Dakota.
Kesler ended his freshman season fourth in scoring for the Buckeyes with 31 points and was second in goals with 11. He was a three-time CCHA Rookie of the Week and was the league’s nominee for national rookie of the month in December. Kesler earned CCHA All-Rookie Team honorable mention accolades and ranked fifth in scoring among league freshmen. He competed for the United States in the prestigious IIHF World Junior Championships, ranking second with seven points and earning player of the game accolades in the game vs. Czech.
