VIDEO: Nick Merkley celebrates birthday with highlight-reel goal in Memorial Cup

Highly touted prospect Nick Merkley turned 18 years old over the weekend and he celebrated with a beautiful goal Monday.

Merkley is known for his playmaking abilities, which have propelled the draft-eligible Kelowna Rockets forward into the first-round conversation for 2015 despite his diminutive stature. He doesn't score goals often, but he looked very comfortable opening the scoring 52 seconds into Kelowna's Memorial Cup game against the Rimouski Oceanic.

Edmonton Oilers prospect Leon Draisaitl sent Merkley into the slot with a pass that ended up in Merkley's skates. Merkley kicked the puck between both feet before moving it to his stick and chipping a backhand deke past Rimouski's netminder without slowing down in an incredible display of coordination.

Merkley also assisted on a Rockets goal later in the first period. He had a goal and an assist in Kelowna's 4-3 loss to the Quebec Remparts to open the tournament.