DeBrincat has record-setting night

Aaron Vickers2016 Draft Center

It didn’t take long for Erie Otters right winger Alexander DeBrincat to leave his impression on the 2016 NHL Draft class.

DeBrincat had a record-setting five-goal outing in a 6-1 win against the Niagara IceDogs on Thursday, just his second game of the season.

The 5-foot-7, 163-pound forward, unranked in Future Considerations preliminary listing in July, is the first player in Otters franchise history to score five goals in a regular season game. That includes the likes of Connor McDavid (No. 1) and Dylan Strome (No. 3). Both were top picks in the 2015 NHL Draft.

“Debrincat is a small, and I mean tiny, winger but plays like a guy much larger as he works hard, is not afraid to battle in the corners and venture into the gritty areas around the oppositions net for a scoring chance,” Future Considerations scouting director Dan Stewart staid. “He has a natural feel for positioning and where to be for a scoring chance plus the shot to find the back of the net. Has strong vision and reads the play well.”

DeBrincat currently leads the OHL with six goals and seven points in two games.

In 68 games last season, the native of Detroit, MI had 51 goals and 104 points.