Ahead of the 2021 NHL season, Ontario Junior Hockey League writer Ron Valentine is profiling four graduates of the ‘League of Choice’ to watch this year.

By Ron Valentine

EVAN RODRIGUES played two seasons for the OJHL West Division Georgetown Raiders starting in 2009. He became a Boston University Terrier after graduating junior and was an assistant captain there in his final campaign.

Rodrigues was signed as a free agent by the Buffalo Sabres on April 22, 2015. Evan was up and down from the AHL's Rochester Americans to the parent Buffalo club before becoming a fulltime NHL-er in 2018.

Now, Evan is suiting up for the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. To date, he has 27 goals and 72 points in 199 NHL appearances.

As a Raider, wearing the No. 9 in his first season, Evan reached the 20-goal mark and five were game winners. He posted an assist in his first OJHL game against the Villanova Knights and recorded his first goal four games later, one of two for him in the contest, versus the Huntsville Otters. Despite missing 13 games in 2010-11 he still reached the 21-goal mark posting a ten and a nine-game points streak.

A very well-known face around the OJHL and a favourite throughout the League, the Raiders' athletic trainer and equipment manager Andrew Groombridge recalls Evan's Junior days...

"Evan was one of the best rookies I have seen with the Raiders along with Scott Wilson (who spent three seasons at U-Mass./Lowell before enjoying an NHL career with Pittsburgh, Detroit and Buffalo). He was very gifted in the offensive zone and always had an edge to his game. He was wanted by many Division 1 schools after his performance at the 2011 World Junior A Challenge where he had three goals and four assists in five games. Evan and Scott were linemates for the club. Evan's 105 regular season points in just two seasons have him in 32nd spot all-time for the Raiders."

The NHL season begins today with five games, including the Penguins visiting the Philadelphia Flyers.