Rossi takes CHL Top Scorer Award

Aaron Vickers2020 Draft Center, OHL, QMJHL, WHL

Photo by Terry Wilson | CHL Images

Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67’s was named recipient of the CHL Top Scorer Award, the league announced Thursday.

Rossi, a top prospect for the 2020 NHL Draft, led all Canadian Hockey League players with 120 points (39 goals, 81 assists) in 56 games played. He was held pointless just four times, and paced the CHL with a plus-69 rating.

“I want to say thanks to the CHL for giving me the CHL Top Scorer Award and I want to say thanks to the Ottawa 67’s for those amazing two years,” Rossi said in a release. “Thank you very much, stay safe, and stay healthy.”

Alexis Lafreniere, the consensus top pick for the 2020 draft, was also nominated for the award.

Rossi is just the third top scorer to have joined the league through the CHL Import Draft process following Czech Republic born Pavel Rosa for the 1996-97 Hull Olympiques, and Russian Alexander Radulov for the 2005-06 Quebec Remparts. Rossi was originally selected by the 67’s with the No. 18 pick in the 2018 CHL Import Draft.

He is the first player to win the award in his first season of NHL Draft eligibility since Dylan Strome in 2014-15.

The 18-year-old is also a finalist for CHL Player of the Year.

Rossi, the Red Tilson Trophy recipient as the Ontario Hockey League’s most outstanding player of the year, averaged 2.14 points-per-game led the Ontario Hockey League – the league’s highest since Connor McDvaid (2.55) in 2014-15.

He also recognized as the Eddie Power Memorial Trophy winner as the OHL’s top scorer, and led all Eastern Conference skaters with six nominations in the annual OHL Coaches Poll, including first-place finishes in the smartest player, best playmaker, and best shootout shooter categories.