Conner Roulette
2020-21 Team: Seattle Thunderbirds
Date of Birth: May 13, 2003
Place of Birth: Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Ht: 5-foot-11 Wt: 161 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: LW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2021 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 36th (amongst NA skaters)
- FC Hockey: 63rd
- Recruit Scouting: 46th
- The Hockey Writers (Baracchini): 57th
- The Hockey Writers (Zator): 59th
- The Hockey Writers (Forbes): 39th
Forward Conner Roulette has been regarded as an important team player throughout his hockey career. The Manitoba native has been one of the Western Hockey League’s rising performers since he joined the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2019, and he has represented Canada on the international stage.
Roulette played AAA midget hockey for the Winnipeg Hawks, his local team, and scored 101 points (52 goals, 49 assists) as a 15-year-old. He joined the Winnipeg Thrashers of the MMHL (Manitoba Minor Hockey League) and finished the 2018-19 season third in the league’s scoring, having recorded 88 points (41 goals, 47 assists) in 43 games. He decided to leave Manitoba in 2019 to join the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Roulette’s rookie season for the Thunderbirds was promising, as he scored 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 54 games. This led to him receiving an “A” grade ahead of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He returned to Manitoba to briefly play for the Selkirk Steelers of the MJHL (Manitoba Junior Hockey League) before he rejoined the Thunderbirds for the shortened 2020-21 season. He continued to make a positive impact for the Thunderbirds, and he had 12 points (six goals, six assists) from the opening 11 games.
Several qualities make Roulette a good forward, especially his attention to detail. He tends to think a situation through before he makes a decision, and this helps him to make accurate passes across the ice. Roulette can also multitask with the puck in many different scenarios. He can combine reading players with moving the pucks to create scoring chances, usually going one-on-one with goaltenders.
Conner Roulette – 2021 NHL Draft Projection
Roulette’s “A” grade means that he could be selected in the first round of the draft, but he is not projected to be a first-round pick. He’s likely to be drafted in the second round.
Quotables
“Roulette is an offensive-minded player who shows attentive detail to the basics of the game. He shoulder checks and surveys the ice before arriving to pucks to try and create a blueprint for the play. He still tends to try to attack opponents 1-on-1 instead of opting to find and use help when on the attack.” – Greg Revak, The Hockey IQ Newsletter
“Multiple occurrences show that he’s capable of finding consistency layering in transition, it’s just a matter of gaining that extra step and adding some more deceptiveness to boost that confidence. Roulette plays to the pace that the defence and ultimately himself allows, finding ways to create more angles upon on his entries with varied speeds will see more room to get his great shot off and open up space for his linemates.” – Ashley Glover, Recruit Scouting
Strengths
- Decision making
- Skating
- Work with the puck
Under Construction – Improvements to Make
- Puck positioning
- Skating with speed
NHL Potential
Roulette has been accustomed to playing on the top six throughout his playing career. Given his high-scoring statistics and his consistency, he has good potential to play on a top line in the NHL.
Risk/Reward Analysis
Risk – 3/5, Reward – 4/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense – 8/10, Defense, 6/10
Awards/Achievements
Roulette had his first taste of success in the 2017-18 season, winning the Winnipeg AAA U15 championship and leading the league in points. He was named the 2019 MMHL Rookie of the Year as a member of the Winnipeg Thrashers.