Like most good goal-scorers , Jonny Hooker isn ’ t averse to making the occasional calculated gamble when the situation requires on the ice . It ’ s the 5-foot-11 , 177-pound winger ’ s penchant for scoring timely goals that made him a prized prospect in the AAA bantam ranks last season . Despite missing part of the season due to a dislocated shoulder , he was selected in the eighth round ( 176th overall ) of the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft by the Brandon Wheat Kings . Hooker , 15 , made another calculated gamble off the ice last summer . He opted to quit AAA to join The Rink Hockey Academy ’ s RHA Nationals program . The first-year program competes in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League ( CSSHL ) with other prep schools like Delta , Edge , OHA , Pacific Coast and Yale ( Abbotsford , B . C .). While acknowledging his decision to choose RHA may have been viewed by some as a gamble , Hooker said the rewards far outweighed any potential risks .
“ The skill development was the biggest thing ,” he said before a recent afternoon practice . “ We work on a lot of skill development here at The Rink . At least two or three times a week we work on individual skills . “ That was a big thing for me . In AAA you don ’ t get a lot of individual skill development . You get a lot of team development but there ’ s not a lot of time for personal skills development ,” he added . “ Here they make a lot more time for that . Also , we do in-season training here so it keeps you strong and healthy all year . “ It did feel like a little bit of a risk [ choosing RHA ] but we knew the coaches were great and the coaches have been awesome all year . There were also some really good players here already and that helped a lot with the decision .” That decision is looking pretty good for both Hooker and the Nationals now . Hooker was the Nationals ’ top scorer after 12 league games with a team-leading 12 goals and 19 points . His play has helped RHA get off to a strong 7-3-0-2 start in the CSSHL ’ s midget prep division .
2016 - 17 ROSTER DEADLINE EDITION GAME ON 59