WHL Prospect Profile - Jake Virtanen - Calgary Hitmen

The Western Hockey League (WHL)’s Calgary Hitmen selected Virtanen with the first overall pick at the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft. He appeared in nine games for the Hitmen during the 2011-12 season, and was a regular for Calgary in 2012–13. Virtanen scored 16 goals and 34 points in 62 games and began to establish himself as a highly-ranked prospect for the 2014 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft. Returning to Calgary for his second full junior season, Virtanen nearly tripled his goal scoring total from the previous season and finished with 45 on the year. He added 26 assists to finish with 71 points. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked Virtanen as the ninth best North American skater for the 2014 draft at its midseason ranking and he played in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. Virtanen moved up three spots in NHL Central Scouting’s year-end ranking and enters the draft ranked sixth among North American skaters. The Hockey News projects Virtanen to be a “pure goal scorer“ in th