Trevor Wong
2020-21 Team: Kelowna Rockets (#8)
Date of Birth: May 4, 2003
Place of Birth: Vancouver, British Columbia
Ht: 5-foot-8
Wt: 154 pounds
Position: C
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2021 first-year eligibility
Rankings
NHL Central Scouting: 90th (amongst NA skaters)
FC Hockey: 67th
McKeen’s Hockey: 80th
Elite Prospects: 37th
Smaht Scouting: 68th
The Hockey Writers (Zator): 90th
The Hockey Writers (Baracchini): 107th
I feel like a bit of a broken record repeating this on every profile, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made scouts’ jobs much, much harder heading into this year’s draft. At least in 2020, they still had at least half a season in most leagues to work with. This year, while the major European leagues (KHL, SHL, SM-Liiga, etc) were able to leg out a full campaign, Canada’s junior leagues saw a different outcome.
The OHL didn’t even have a season, whereas the QMJHL and the WHL did, albeit a very limited one. This makes scouting players like Trevor Wong all the more difficult. A small centreman hailing from Vancouver, Wong just completed his sophomore season with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. But while he seemed to show some pretty significant strides, he only had 16 games to his name in comparison to 58 the season before.
Wong was a standout playing for St. George’s School’s varsity team as a 15-year-old, finishing with a whopping 64 goals and 141 points in 30 games. This earned him an 18th overall selection by the Kelowna Rockets in the 2018 WHL Draft. In AAA the following year, he put up 42 points in 34 games for the Greater Van Canadians U18 team and even got a small taste of WHL action, where he scored one goal in four games.
In 2019-20, he became a full-time player for the Rockets, registering 14 points in 58 games as a rookie before the WHL canceled the season due to the pandemic. Heading into the 2020-21 season, Wong did not make NHL Central Scouting’s early draft rankings, likely due to his size and the fact that he didn’t necessarily blow anyone away with his totals during his rookie season.
This likely served as some extra motivation for Wong. Despite the WHL season not getting underway until late February and being limited to 24 games, he made the most of the circumstances and notched 16 points in 16 games with the Rockets. Having just turned 18 on May 4th, he accomplished most of this as a 17-year-old.
Offensively, Wong has the tools to be a very slick, fluid player. He has great hands, and he also has a way of playing a bit of a conservative defensive game, hanging higher up in the offensive zone in the event of a turnover so he can be the first man back. His speed is without a doubt his best asset, and he’s got a great eye for creating space for himself and finding his teammates in open lanes.
Other THW Draft Profiles
Matvei Petrov
Sami Helenius
Colton Dach
Trevor Wong – NHL Draft Projection
Like many other CHL players, Wong got the short end of the stick due to lack of a proper season this year. Granted, I think scouts saw enough of him that it’s safe to say he’d be worth a flier as a mid-round pick, likely falling somewhere between the third and fifth round. The absolute highest I can see him going is mid-second round.
Quotables
There’s not a lot out on this kid. He’s smaller and while his numbers don’t dictate a high rate of offensive success, Wong does have a higher offensive ceiling than he’s given credit for. He’s a smooth skater that helps himself get space in the neutral zone, but defensively he needs to find some more consistency to his game. Developed well, Wong could be an interesting later round pick we’re talking about in a couple years time. –Andrew Forbes, The Hockey Writers
A point per game player with the Kelowna Rockets, Trevor Wong’s best asset is his skating. He has good speed and agility and is able to pivot and evade pressure with his edge work. While he’s noticeable when the puck is on his stick, as he has good control and uses his skating to his advantage, he rarely engages in puck battles and tends to back off in those physical situations. If he’s able to find the confidence and be comfortable in those situations, he could be an intriguing prospect. -Peter Baracchini, The Hockey Writers
Related: THW’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide
His skating is really a fluid stride which combined with top-notch balance allows him to adapt to moving pucks and the play developing. His edgework is tight and keep him in the play positionally. It allows him to close gaps and clog lanes effectively. That being said, he rarely used physical leverage to gain position on a player in any zone and rarely finished his checks when forechecking. He will much rather close the gaps and try to anticipate their passing around him. He looks to knock down pucks or even force his body along the boards. There was very little puck control in the ozone in this one. I found when he built up speed on the rush as a puck carrier he was good at using inside out routes to create separation on entries. He also has the ability to pull and drag the puck laterally which franctly he needs to do due to his smaller frame and stick. -Joel Henderson, FC Hockey
What’s more noticeable for me this year is the confidence that he’s carried over from the tail end of last year when he was getting top-six reps. His IQ and awareness with the puck was evident from puck drop and he showed a lot of evidence of being able to string sequences together by making quick and precise decisions to put pucks to space where sequential plays could unfold or there was an immediate scoring chance available. -Justin Froese, FC Hockey
Strengths
- Speed
- Hockey IQ
- Vision
- Defensive Awareness
- Passing
Under Construction – Improvements to Make
Weighing in at just 154 pounds, Wong will obviously have to put on some muscle in order to carve out a sustainable pro career, but I’m not putting too much stock into that, given that he just turned 18 in May. He also tends to steer away from physical contact and won’t often be seen in the middle of puck battles along the boards, but I’m confident that will come as he gains muscle and grows into a bigger frame.
NHL Potential
Assuming his development goes smoothly, and he improves consistently every year, Wong’s likely NHL potential is a middle-six centre, with his ceiling being a serviceable second-line centre. I think he’s got a ton more to give offensively, and I think we’ll be seeing a more rounded-out version of his game once he matures physically.
Risk-Reward Potential
Risk – 2/5 Reward – 3/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offence – 6/10 Defence – 5/10
Awards/Achievements
Because the Kelowna Rockets’ season was postponed during his rookie season, his achievements on the junior front are rather thin. However, he was absolutely unstoppable prior to the WHL draft, finishing as the leader in goals, assists, and points for his school team. His team also won the championship that year, and he took the league’s MVP honours as well.
