Flames Top 25 Under 25: #22 - Demetrios Koumontzis

#22: Demetrios Koumontzis

Position: Left Wing

Age: 19

Team: Arizona State University (NCAA)

Drafted: 2018, Round 4 #108

Last Year Ranking: #37

Demetrios Koumontzis is currently enrolled at Arizona State University and had a respectable freshman season, playing in 35 games and scoring four goals and collecting 16 assists. While not known as a “hot bed” for hockey, ASU has made a large leap in the last three season. Their first season as a D1 varsity program was in 2015-16 and last year the made their first NCAA Tournament appearance, which set a NCAA record for the fastest time for a team to join D1 and the make the tournament.

The Flames have had some success with the NCAA route lately, mainly Johnny Gaudreau, but it’s also been a mixed bag when it comes to college prospects making an impact. Adam Fox never even had the chance to make an impact, Mark Jankowski is still a work in progress, Jon Gillies looks like he’s at the end of the line and John Gilmour never set foot in Calgary.

The point? You never know with NCAA prospect and that especially holds true for a 19 year old kid who’s only experience outside of youth and HS is one game in the USHL and 35 games as a freshman in college. That’s not to say he won’t be something, but trying to gauge what Koumontzis MIGHT become is like trying to pick lottery numbers.

It is encouraging to see that Brad Treliving singled out Koumontzis as one of the most improved players at Flames development camp a few weeks ago. His mix of speed and skill really stood out at camp, and perhpas was part of earning him an invite to the World Junior Summer Showcase for Team USA, which is their precursor to the World Junior camp.