Luca Ciampini, NHL’s big hope for 2012

The special edition of The Hockey News and its Future Watch 2010 report says that LaSalle resident Luca Ciampini, star winger for the Châteauguay Patriots Midget AAA, is viewed as one of the best draft hopefuls of the 2012 National Hockey League. His is among the first five candidates who will be selected for the Quebec Junior Major League on June 5 in Drummondville. The Hockey News describes Luca Ciampini as a player who stands 5'11” and weighs 186 pounds, dominating the Châteauguay Midget AAA Patriots during the season with a record of 18 goals and 25 passes in 43 matches. His favorite player is Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins. A talent scout said that Ciampini is a natural scorer and that all he needs to improve are his defensive play and his skating techniques.

He is a fourth-year high school student at LaSalle Community and Comprehensive High School. He was one of 28 recipients of a $1,000 scholarship from the Montreal Canadians during a ceremony held at the Bell Centre. He was born on March 8, 1994 and still lives in LaSalle. Luca Ciampini’s career with the LaSalle Couguars didn’t last very long. From a pool of novices he was noticed for his great talent and received advanced ranking in his second season. Before joining the Midget AAA level, he demonstrated his playing skills with the Lac St. Louis Midget Hopeful Predators, where he was assistant captain in spite of his Bantam age.