Red Deer Rebels defenceman Josh Mahura and forward Jeff de Wit are included on the Central Scouting futures list highlighting prospects for the 2016 NHL entry draft.
Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter will be counting on the six-foot, 170-pound Mahura and six-foot-three, 186-pound de Wit to step up and play bigger roles during the 2015-16 Western Hockey League season. Both were rookies last season.
Mahura and de Wit, both 17, are among 14 WHL players on the Central futures list, the others being defencemen Kyle Clague of Brandon, Jake Bean of Calgary, Lucas Johansen of Kelowna and Maxime Lajoie of Swift Current, forwards Dillon Dube of Kelowna, Brett Howden of Moose Jaw, Simon Stransky of Prince Albert, Sam Steel of Regina and Tyler Benson of Vancouver, and goalies Carter Hart of Everett, Zach Sawchencko of Moose Jaw and Evan Sarthou of Tri-City.
• The Rebels training camp opens Aug. 29 at the Centrium and concludes with the Black and White intrasquad game Sept. 2
Red Deer’s preseason schedule starts Sept. 5 versus the Edmonton Oil Kings at St. Albert.
The Rebels will follow with Sept. 11 and 12 games against the host Tri-City American and Spokane Chiefs at Kennewick, Wash., a Centrium date with the Oil Kings Sept. 18 and a meeting with the Medicine Hat Tigers 24 hours later at Stettler.
The Rebels’ regular-season opener is Sept. 26 versus the visiting Oil Kings.
Red Deer will host the 2016 MasterCard Memorial Cup next May.