Marco Rossi (ice hockey)


Marco Rossi is an Austrian ice hockey player currently playing for the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League. He is regarded as a top prospect for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Rossi grew up in Austria and moved to Switzerland in 2011 to further his career. He spent several years there, making his professional debut in 2018 with the GCK Lions of the Swiss League, the second tier of hockey in Switzerland. Selected by the 67s in the 2018 CHL Import Draft, Rossi moved to North America that year and has played two seasons there. In 2019–20 he led the OHL in scoring and was awarded the Red Tilson Trophy as the most valuable player in the league. Internationally Rossi has played for the Austrian national junior team at the under-18 World Championships and World Junior Championships.

Playing career

Rossi first played hockey in his native Austria at the age of 3. At the age of 10 Rossi moved to Switzerland to further his career, and Feldkirch, his hometown, is close to the Austria–Switzerland border. At the age of 13 Rossi moved to Zürich again to help his career. He played in the junior system of Switzerland within the system of the ZSC Lions, frequently playing in older age categories. He made his professional debut in the 2017–18 season, playing 18 games and recording 7 points for the GCK Lions of the Swiss League, the second-highest league in Switzerland. After the season he was selected 18th overall by the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. He played 53 games with Ottawa in 2018–19 and scored 65 points, finishing fourth on the team in scoring, and had an additional 22 points in 17 playoff games. Rossi was named to the OHL Second All-Star Team as a result. Rossi returned to Ottawa for the 2019–20 season and led the OHL, and the entire CHL in scoring with 120 points in 56 games. He was awarded the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy and CHL Top Scorer Award for leading the OHL and CHL in scoring, respectively, and was named the most outstanding player in the OHL, winning the Red Tilson Trophy, and was also named to the OHL's First All-Star Team. He was the first European player to lead the OHL in scoring.
Heading into the 2020 NHL Entry Draft Rossi was regarded as a top prospect, and the NHL Central Scouting Bureau had him ranked as the sixth-best North American-based skater for the draft.

International play

The first International Ice Hockey Federation tournament Rossi played at was the 2017 World U18 Championship Division IB, the third tier of the tournament. He scored 8 points in 5 games, leading the Austrian national team in scoring and playing third overall. Rossi subsequently played at the 2018 World Junior Championship IA, the second tier at that level. With 5 points in 5 games he led the Austrian national junior team and finished tied for fifth overall. He returned to the under-18 level for the 2018 Division IB tournament, recording 7 points in 5 games to place second for Austria and tied for fourth overall.

Personal life

Rossi is the youngest of three children; he has two sisters, Estelle and Marielle. His father, Michael, played hockey for 20 years, mainly with VEU Feldkirch.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honours