Ozzy Wiesblatt

Ozzy Wiesblatt (born March 9, 2002) is a Canadian ice hockey player currently playing for the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the first round, 31st overall, by the Sharks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

Ozzy Wiesblatt
Born	March 9, 2002 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	183 lb (83 kg; 13 st 1 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Right
NHL team (P) Cur. team	San Jose Sharks San Jose Barracuda (AHL)
NHL Draft	31st overall, 2020 San Jose Sharks
Playing career	2021–present

Early life

Wiesblatt was born to parents Kimberly White and Art Wiesblatt, who are both deaf. As a result, he and his siblings all learned American sign language to communicate. Wiesblatt and his brothers Ocean, Orca, and Oasiz all play hockey.[1] They also have a younger sister, Oceania.[2]

Playing career

Wiesblatt began his ice hockey career playing for the Calgary Bisons U15 AAA in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League before being drafted into the Western Hockey League (WHL). Prior to being drafted 25th overall, Wiesblatt recorded 38 goals and 35 assists in 32 games during the 2016–17 season.[3] In spite of being drafted, he remained in the Alberta Midget Hockey League with the Calgary Bisons U18 team but was selected for Team Alberta at the 2017 WHL Cup.[4][5] He made his WHL debut during the 2017–18 season, during which he recorded his first career WHL goal.[6]

Wiesblatt officially joined the Raiders roster for the 2018–19 where he recorded 39 points and helped lead the team to the Ed Chynoweth Cup.[7] As a result, he shared the team's Rookie of the Year award with Kaiden Guhle.[8] This caught the attention of San Jose Sharks' general manager and director of scouting, who referred to Wiesblatt as a center rather than a winger.[9]

Wiesblatt entered his first year of draft eligibility ranking 19th overall North American skaters per the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's Midterm Rankings.[10] Although the season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, he placed second on the team in scoring with 70 points in 64 games.[11] As a result, he was drafted in the first round, 31st overall, by the San Jose Sharks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.[12] He signed his contract on October 16, 2020.[13]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2017–18	Calgary Buffaloes U18	AMHL		33	21	20	41	22		5	2	2	4	2
2017–18	Prince Albert Raiders	WHL		1	1	0	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Prince Albert Raiders	WHL		64	15	24	39	20		23	5	5	10	2
2019–20	Prince Albert Raiders	WHL		64	25	45	70	36		—	—	—	—	—
WHL totals				129	41	69	110	56		23	5	5	10	2

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2018	Canada Black	U17	5th		5	1	2	3	6
2019	Canada	HG18			5	0	1	1	12
Junior totals					10	1	3	4	18

References

1. Korbin, Kelley (November 9, 2007). "Deaf parents help build communication skills". Jewish Independent. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
2. Radford, Evan (July 23, 2018). "Hockey mom's deafness pushed her boys to be better". Toronto Star. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
3. "Raiders Select 10 Players In 2017 WHL Bantam Draft". raiderhockey.com. May 4, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
4. "Five Raider prospects to play in WHL Cup". panow.com. October 4, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
5. "Raiders Well Represented At WHL Cup". raiderhockey.com. October 4, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
6. "It Was Probably Easily The Best Moment Of My Life". raiderhockey.com. May 2, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
7. Medina, Alex (September 28, 2020). "CRAZY AND EXCITING TIME". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
8. "Raiders Hand Out 2018-19 Awards". raiderhockey.com. March 18, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
9. White, Marcus (October 7, 2020). "How Wiesblatt won over Sharks with blend of skill, spirit". nbcsports.com. NBC Sports. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
10. "January 13, 2020 Twenty-two Albertans listed in NHL Central Scouting's Midterm Rankings". hockeyalberta.ca. January 13, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
11. Punkari, Lucas (September 22, 2020). "Wiesblatt keeping busy during long off season". paherald.sk.ca. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
12. White, Marcus (October 6, 2020). "Sharks select Ozzy Wiesblatt with No. 31 pick in NHL draft". nbcsports.com. NBC Sports. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
13. "Sharks Sign Center Ozzy Wiesblatt". National Hockey League. October 16, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database