Cypress River’s finest Working the family farm set up top draft prospect Carels for hockey success By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 12:20 PM CDT Friday, May. 1, 2026

It takes a village to raise a hockey player.

Carson Carels would be the first to tell you his just happens to include hundreds of cows, goats, peacocks, chickens and whatever else might be wandering the 2,000 acres of rolling hills in south-central Manitoba that he and his family call home.

The farm isn’t just where the 17-year-old lives. It’s where he was built.

“It has shaped who I am,” said Carson.

He insists that’s not about to change, even if everything else soon might.

Carson is one of the top prospects in the upcoming NHL draft, with a general consensus among scouts and analysts that his name should be called early in the first round on June 26. Some projections have the powerful left-shot defenceman going as high as second or third overall. Others see him landing in the low teens, but likely no further.

Should he go in the top 10, Carson would become the first Manitoban to do so since Winnipeggers Nolan Patrick (second) and Cody Glass (sixth) were selected by Philadelphia and Vegas in 2017, respectively.

“It’s something I think about a bit. But staying occupied here has helped a lot,” said Carson, who speaks with a poise that suggests he’s wise beyond his years.

“Working on the farm and keeping my mind off things makes the days go by fast. It’ll be draft day soon enough.”

Until then, it’s business as usual.

The Free Press spent several hours earlier this week following Carson through a long list of daily chores assigned by his parents, including bottle-feeding three-week-old goats, checking on 400 calving cows and herding another 100 heifers from pasture to pasture.

All of it came just days after his Prince George Cougars were eliminated in the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs. There was no time to pout. The work back home was piling up, and Carson wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I owe that to the farm, for sure,” he said of a work ethic that has NHL general managers taking notice.

The tranquil setting doesn’t hurt, either.

“I just love how open it is out here,” said Carson.

“You don’t see a lot of houses everywhere. You kind of have your own space. It’s a pretty big one. It’s nice to just go on a quad and know you’re not going to see someone for a while. It’s really peaceful.”

The playoff run meant missing the births of 28 “kids” earlier this month from many of the 60 adult goats on the farm. Carson is now making up for lost time, spending several hours a day with them.

He sees plenty of parallels between farm life and hockey, which have helped shape his perspective and ability to handle adversity.

“There are ups and downs on the farm. Good days and bad days. You see animals that pass, sometimes prices and crops don’t go the way they should,” he explained.

“In hockey, that helps when you have a bad shift or make a bad pass. It’s not the end of the world because, honestly, there are things that are worse. Bigger problems than little things that happen on the ice.”

At six-foot-two and 198 pounds, Carson already has the physical tools to adapt to pro hockey quicker than many of his peers. Jumping straight to the NHL next season — rather than returning to junior or exploring a college option — isn’t out of the question.

Once again, the farm has played a role.

“After I go work out or skate and come back here, I’m not just going to sit on the couch or anything like that. It’s right back to work,” he said.

“Just little things like sorting calves has helped with things like angling in hockey. Sometimes, you’ve got to be aggressive with the cows. So that’s kind of helped with me being aggressive on the ice.”

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It’s one thing to dream about the NHL, as Carson did at age six in a kindergarten drawing for his parents. It’s the dream of many Canadian kids.

But turning that into reality is another matter.

There were no silver spoons in the Carels household. Ryan and Stacy were juggling what they describe as “chaos” early on between farm and family life. The couple met as teenagers in classic Manitoba fashion — at a social — and welcomed their first of five children, Ethan, just as they finished high school.

Daughters Jayden and Kadence followed, then Carson and Kendra over the next nine years. All played hockey at various levels, with Ryan occasionally trading overalls for a clipboard and whistle to coach them.

That meant time, patience and a whole lot of co-ordination.

“There was a lot of tag-teaming going on,” said Stacy. “Ryan would be (working on the farm) and I would pick up the kids from school, have everybody’s suppers ready for them and take them all to the rink. The kids kind of knew that’s how it went. It was like, ‘Hurry up, we have things to do, let’s go!’ We did that for years.”

Extended family helped. Ryan’s parents’ farm is across the road, and his brother owns land just to the west.

But there were sacrifices, including no family vacations. There simply wasn’t the time or money. This is a true family operation, with no outside employees. Everyone pulls their weight.

Recreation meant a backyard rink in winter, and an outdoor pool, play structure and trampoline in summer.

“And playing Mantracker with quads,” said Stacy, laughing.

The family also had access to the rink in nearby Holland, allowing for extra ice when time permitted. A well-worn Shooter Tutor beside their home has also taken plenty of pucks over the years.

“I’ve pretty much destroyed it,” said Carson.

His passion for hockey was always clear. His size and skill set helped him stand out in minor hockey, especially as he hit a growth spurt.

“He always had a good mind for the game. But it’s always been about having fun and enjoying the people around you. We didn’t do a whole lot of those extra high-level things or put him in places that are so called ‘elite,’” said Ryan.

The biggest investment came with enrolment at Pilot Mound Academy, where his game took off.

“He started to excel, so we thought, ‘Let’s keep supporting him and see how far he goes,’” said Stacy.

Carson’s uncle Danny was one of his coaches there.

“I saw a lot of upside,” he said. “His understanding of the game stood out. There wasn’t much coaching needed — just time to grow. His hockey sense was ahead of most.”

He believes Carson’s upbringing gave him an edge that can’t be taught.

“There are no days off in farming. You do things the right way because they have to be done. Bringing that mindset into hockey makes a big difference.”

Former teammate Kyle Beilman, now with the River East Royal Knights of the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League, remains one of Carson’s closest friends and still makes regular trips from Winnipeg to the farm — where there’s always work waiting.

“He’s just a super nice guy. Not cocky at all. All my friends that meet him in the city say he’s different than what they expected,’” said Beilman.

“And when you played with him, you knew he was the best player on the ice.”

WHL scouts took notice early. Carson was drafted 16th overall by Prince George in 2023 at age 14. He played seven games as a 15-year-old before making the team full-time the following season.

“Making the prep team and doing well there, obviously getting drafted to the WHL, you start to think about the next steps,” said Carson.

After putting up 35 points (6 goals, 29 assists) in 60 games as a rookie, he exploded for 73 points (20G, 53A) in 58 games this season. That earned him a spot on Canada’s world junior team, where he was the youngest player on the bronze-medal roster in January in Saint Paul, Minn.

“It was such a cool experience that really helped my back half of the season,” he said. “It gave me a sense of confidence and just helped set me up for success.”

He credits head coach Mark Lamb and former associate coach Jim Playfair for accelerating his development. Both former NHLers encouraged him to study Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson.

“I owe them a lot. They know what it takes to get to the NHL and win Cups, too,” he said. “I probably wouldn’t be the player I am today without both those guys.”

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Could we have a match made in local hockey heaven?

The Winnipeg Jets currently own the seventh-overall pick in the upcoming draft, the result of finishing 26th in the NHL standings this past season.

A draft lottery being held next Tuesday will determine their final spot. While staying put is the most likely scenario, the Jets also have a slim chance of moving up to the first, second or third position, or falling to either eighth or ninth.

Which raises the question: could Carson end up staying close to home?

“Definitely something that is on my mind,” he said with a smile. “Just because of how close we are and how much people love the Jets around here, I hope it works out. We’ll see how it goes.”

They might need to expand Canada Life Centre if that happens. When Prince George played their one regular-season game in Brandon earlier this season, the Keystone Centre was taken over by hundreds of Carson’s family members and friends.

Carson grew up cheering for both the Jets and the Washington Capitals, the result of his older brother being an Alex Ovechkin fan. Washington currently has the 16th pick, which makes it unlikely he’d still be on the board when their turn comes around.

“As long as it’s a good organization and good people, that’s the main thing,” said Ryan.

Carson has already spoken to scouts from all 32 teams at some point over the past season. He’ll get a chance to sit down with some of the true contenders for his services when he heads to Buffalo for the NHL Scouting Combine at the end of May.

Back home, the family is planning a massive draft-night party on the farm, with hundreds expected — teammates, coaches, family and friends. The whole village, in a sense — including the animals.

“The thought of being here and with all the family members and friends and staff that got me here, it’s going to be a surreal night,” said Carson.

He’ll likely zip off to the development camp of whichever team happens to draft him, then return home for the most important summer of training of his career. In between regular skating sessions in Winnipeg with Riley Dudar and his team at Evolution Hockey will be plenty more busy days back home.

There will be no victory laps.

“When the (draft) happens, it happens. You get a few hours to be happy about it, smile — and then it’s the next day and you just have to carry on and go back to work,” said Carson.

On the ice. On the farm. Just like always.

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