shane wright Archives - Boutique Hockey Agency

Seattle Signs Its Top 2022 Draft Pick Shane Wright to Entry Level Contract

Posted on July 13, 2022

SEATTLE, WA – Shane Wright signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old forward was the No. 4 pick in the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft.

“It was the overall fit and what the organization is building to,” Wright said on Day Two of Kraken development camp Tuesday. “They are a new team, so they don’t have as many prospects in the system as some other teams do. I feel it’ll just give me a lot more opportunities, stepping in to make a difference right away. The potential ability to be part of a situation and be a building block and a huge piece in their team and the organization for the future was something that really excited me. Now that it finally worked out this way, I couldn’t be happier.”

Wright persevered through missed season to be best player in 2022 Draft

Posted on June 29, 2022

MONTREAL, QC – Shane Wright has the confidence to succeed and the perseverance to thrive at any level of hockey.

He’s really had no other choice to this point in his career.

A month after Hockey Canada granted him exceptional-player status in March 2019 at age 15, he was chosen No. 1 by Kingston in the Ontario Hockey League priority draft (regular draft age is 16). He was named rookie of the year in the Canadian Hockey League after he had 66 points (39 goals, 27 assists) in 58 games in 2019-20.

He was proving to be everything everyone expected. And then the OHL canceled its 2020-21 season due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

“It was just a lot of off-ice training, working out in my garage, the gym, trying to maintain my body as best as possible with weights, medicine balls, and I skated on rollerblades or wherever we could find ice,” Wright said. “I mean, you can do all the skating you want but it’s really tough to simulate a game-like scenario and that’s something I missed a lot, something I definitely missed doing for sure.”

He wasn’t alone. But for a player of his status, a lost season was a missed opportunity to solidify his standing as the best the 2022 NHL Draft class had to offer.

To his credit, Wright did all he could this season to answer questions regarding his chances of developing into an NHL franchise player. He was eighth in the OHL with 94 points (32 goals, 62 assists) in 63 games, including 51 points (17 goals, 34 assists) in his final 32 games. He then had 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 11 OHL playoff games, including the overtime series-clinching goal in the first round against Oshawa.

The 18-year-old has established himself as a leading option to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Wright (6-foot, 199 pounds) was No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting’s ranking of North American skaters from start to finish. He did so despite missing more than 13 months of competitive hockey. His last organized games prior to this OHL season was the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship when he was second among all players with 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in five games while serving as captain for first-place Canada.

Shane Wright’s success is equal parts talent and work ethic

Posted on March 2, 2022

KINGSTON, ONT – Hockey fans love highlight-reel goals. Those kinds of plays get a lot of attention but that doesn’t make them better than complete players.

Kingston Frontenacs star, Shane Wright has been the consensus top pick in the upcoming 2022 NHL Draft for some time now and yet some in the media are looking for reasons to knock him out of the top spot. Maybe his point production isn’t overtly dominant or maybe his unselfish play can be boring to some. The fact is every NHL team wants players like Wright who understand the little things as much as scoring points.

Shane Wright named OHL East Division Academic Players of the Month

Posted on January 7, 2022

KINGSTON, ONT – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs, Owen Van Steensel of the North Bay Battalion, Matthew Poitras of the Guelph Storm and PJ Forgione of the Saginaw Spirit have been named Academic Players of the Month for December.

East Division: Kingston Frontenacs captain and top 2022 NHL Draft prospect Shane Wright is the OHL East Division Academic Player of the Month for December. Recording an 87 percent average at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School, Wright also worked on his studies remotely throughout his time representing Canada at the recent World Junior Hockey Championship.

Wright maintains a full academic course load, which includes achieving a 92 percent in English, and a 97 percent in Religion.

“Since being granted exceptional player status and selected first overall in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, Shane has continued to excel, setting and upholding the highest standard for himself, both on and off the ice. He is an exceptional role model to both his class and teammates,” said Frontenacs academic advisor Kristi LeSarge.

The Burlington, Ont. native and former OHL Rookie of the Year has earned 30 points (11-19–30) in 22 games this season. This marks Wright’s second time receiving East Division Academic Player of the Month honours.

Canada beats Russia to Capture Gold at U18 World Championship with Shane Wright Leading as Captain

Posted on May 7, 2021May 7, 2021

FRISCO, TEXAS – Canada is golden at the under-18 men’s hockey championship after another strong performance from two of the youngest players at the tournament.

Led by 17-year-old captain Shane Wright and 15-year-old Connor Bedard, the Canadians beat Russia 5-3 on Thursday in the championship game, going undefeated along the way.

Wright had two goals and an assist while Bedard added a goal and a helper.

Brennan Othmann scored a highlight-reel between-the-legs goal for Canada, which got another from Logan Stankoven.

Benjamin Gaudreau made 31 saves and was named top goaltender at the 10-nation event.

Wright and Bedard — two of only seven players in Canadian Hockey League history to be granted exceptional player status to join major junior a year early — finished 2-3 in tournament scoring behind Russia’s Matvei Michkov.

Wright ended the tournament with nine goals and 14 points in only five games — scoring at least a goal in each contest. Bedard wrapped up the event with seven goals and 14 points in seven games.

Shane Wright wins CHL Rookie of the Year Award

Posted on June 5, 2020September 15, 2020

TORONTO, ONT– The Canadian Hockey League is proud to announce that forward Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs is the 2019-20 recipient of the CHL Rookie of the Year Award presented by Wawanesa Insurance.

Wright led all CHL rookies in scoring with 66 points including 39 goals and 27 assists in 58 games competing as the league’s youngest and only full-time 2004-born player after being granted exceptional status by Hockey Canada.

“Wawanesa Insurance is proud to present the 2019-20 CHL Rookie of the Year Award to Frontenacs forward Shane Wright,” said Selena Hinds, Vice President of Brand, Communications and Community for Wawanesa Insurance. “We’re all missing hockey right now, but players like Shane remind us the future is bright, and we’re looking forward to cheering Shane on next season.”

Frontenacs’ Shane Wright Named OHL Rookie of the Year

Posted on May 15, 2020September 15, 2020

KINGSTON, ONT – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that forward Shane Wrightof the Kingston Frontenacs is the 2019-20 recipient of the Emms Family Award handed out annually to the OHL’s Rookie of the Year presented by Wawanesa Insurance.

“Wawanesa Insurance is proud to present the OHL Rookie of the Year award to Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs,” said Selena Hinds, Vice President of Brand, Community and Communications for Wawanesa Insurance. “Although the season was abbreviated, fans still had the opportunity to see some terrific hockey, with Shane Wright’s skill really standing out. We are excited to see what the future holds for you, Shane – way to go!”

Frontenacs’ Wright living up to exceptional expectations

Posted on May 13, 2020September 15, 2020

KINGSTON, ONT – After they selected Shane Wright first overall in the Ontario Hockey League draft last year, the Frontenacs invited the Don Mills Flyer product to Kingston City Hall to formally introduce him to the community.

“We forgot to mention to Shane that he would have to get up and speak,” recalled general manager Darren Keily with a smile. “We said basically, ‘Hey Shane, you got to say a few words,’ and he didn’t skip a beat. He got up in front of a large crowd of people and handled himself really well. It goes to show his maturity.”

Exceptional Status Phenom Shane Wright Is Staying On Point

Posted on April 9, 2020September 15, 2020

KINGSTON, ONT – As the latest OHL prospect to receive the exceptional status designation to join the league a year early, center Shane Wright joined the Kingston Frontenacs with a ton of hype. As an underager, he led the minor midget Don Mills Flyers to a nearly unbeaten 2018-19 season and an OHL Cup title. Naturally, the Frontenacs snapped him up with the first overall pick in the 2019 OHL Draft and made him the focal point of a rebuild that saw the team starting from scratch.

From the outset, it looked as though Kingston wouldn’t have much firepower this year and another finish in the basement was predicted. But Wright surpassed expectations and even threatened John Tavares’ exceptional status rookie scoring record in the OHL, before the remainder of the OHL campaign was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Not only did Wright lead all OHL rookies in scoring with 39 goals and 66 points in 58 games (Tavares had 77 as a rookie with Oshawa; Connor McDavid had 66 with Erie), but he also led the Frontenacs in scoring, with a seven-point margin. When the season was cancelled, Kingston was in a playoff spot.