Cochrane hockey player Austin Wong is Cochrane's next pro-level hockey player after he was taken in the National Hockey League (NHL) Draft. The Winnipeg Jets selected him in the seventh round, 215th overall on June 23 in Dallas. Wong, who currently plays forward for the Alberta Junior Hockey League's (AJHL) Okotoks Oilers where he racked up 55 points (25 goals, 29 assists) in 54 regular season games and 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in 15 playoff games after the Oilers made their first appearance in the AJHL Championship series. Wong was also selected to the Team Canada West selection camp for World Junior A Challenge and was named the MVP of the 2018 CJHL Top Prospects game where he registered one goal and one assist in Team West’s victory over Team East. Wong is committed to the Harvard University Crimson in the NCAA Division I ECAC Conference for the 2019-2020 season. The Cochrane native’s career with the Oilers shows 108 regular season games, where he’s tallied 74 points (35 goals, 39 assists) and six goals and nine assists in 27 playoff games. Wong, who is the sixth Cochranite to make the NHL, started his second season in Okotoks not ranked by the NHL Central Scouting Rankings, but with his strong season, the young Cochrane forward started to get the attention of NHL scouts. At the mid-way point of the 2017-18 season, he placed 262nd in the North American skater ranks and finished at 174 by season's end, placing Wong in a decent draft position. Through the Okotoks Oilers website, Wong said he his thankful for his time with the Oilers and is honoured to have been drafted by the Jets organization. “I am super excited and thankful for the past two years with the Okotoks Oilers. My development both on and off the ice as an Oiler, has definitely assisted with my success. I look forward to another great season with the Oilers before moving on to Harvard University.” Wong was unavailable for comment as he is currently at the Jets' development camp in Winnipeg, which is held for new draft picks as an opportunity to meet the coaches and do some on-ice training. Previous Cochrane players drafted or signed to the NHL include Mason Raymond (Vancouver Canucks draft), Dillon Dube (Calgary Flames draft), Justin McCrae (Carolina Hurricanes draft) Linden Rowat (Los Angeles Kings draft,) Justin Dowling (signed by Dallas Stars).
