The (local) kids are all right Fourteen Manitobans named NHL draft hopefuls By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 5:19 PM CDT Monday, Jun. 23, 2025 Last Modified: 10:00 AM CDT Thursday, Jun. 26, 2025 Updates

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This article was published 23/06/2025 (419 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s reputation as a pro hockey factory took a bit of a hit during last year’s NHL draft when only one local prospect ultimately heard his name called. And even that didn’t happen until the fifth round, when Brandon’s Clarke Caswell was selected by the Seattle Kraken.

Was there something in the water? Had we lost our touch? Was it time to commission a summit?

No, no and absolutely not. Turns out that was likely the exception, rather than the rule, and we should be back to our regularly scheduled player development programming later this week.

When it comes to the potential Class of 2025, it would seem the local kids are all right. And a league that already includes the likes of homegrown talents such as Jonathan Toews, Seth Jarvis and Mark Stone — just to name a few — could eventually have some new faces from the Keystone province.

Fourteen Manitobans made the cut when NHL Central Scouting recently released its final rankings of North American skaters and goaltenders. It would be unrealistic to expect all of them to be selected this weekend, but there’s plenty of quality available during the draft which begins Friday night (Round 1) and wraps up Saturday (Rounds 2-7).

This year should land somewhere between 2023, when three Manitobans were selected, and 2022, when a whopping eight were picked — tying the record previously set in both 2017 and 2018.

Here’s a primer to get you set:

SKATERS

LW Carter Bear (West St. Paul, 6’0, 179 pounds, 10th-ranked skater): He’s going to become the first Manitoban to go in the first round since Strathclair’s Conor Geekie was selected 11th-overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2022. (Denton Mateychuk at 12 to Columbus and Owen Pickering at 21 to Pittsburgh made it a hat trick that year).

The only mystery is how high might he go? Based on a compilation of mock drafts by various puck pundits, somewhere in the range of 13th-18th seems likely. In other words, he’s almost certain to be off the board by the time his hometown Winnipeg Jets are ready to pick at 28th.

Bear could have been a top-10 pick if not for suffering a partially cut Achilles tendon which ended his season after just 56 games. He still produced 82 points (40G, 42A) in that span with the Everett Silvertips and is now fully healthy.

C Matthew Gard (Winnipeg, 6’5, 192 pounds, 37th-ranked skater): The 18-year-old has got the kind of size that scouts love.

Gard posted 18 points in 55 games as a rookie with the Red Deer Rebels, then doubled that as a sophomore last season while also playing a pivotal shutdown-type role with the WHL club. Winning key faceoffs, killing penalties and plenty of physicality have increased his value.

C Hayden Paupanekis (Winnipeg, 6’4, 196 pounds, 38th-ranked skater): Right behind Gard is another similarly sized potential power forward who split this past year between the Spokane Chiefs and Kelowna Rockets, registering 43 points (22G, 21A) in 71 games. That was a big jump from the 20 points (10G, 10A) he posted in 61 WHL games as a rookie last year.

He’ll be playing in the Memorial Cup next spring, as Kelowna receive an automatic berth as the hosts. He is friends with Bear, and the pair roomed together earlier this month at the NHL combine in Buffalo.

D Peyton Kettles (Winnipeg, 6’5, 190 pounds, 39th-ranked skater): Right behind Gard and Paupanekis is Kettles, who is likely to be the first Manitoba blue-liner to be selected.

There’s not a ton of offence to his game — 14 points (5G, 9A) in 53 games with the Swift Current Broncos last year after 13 points (2G, 11A) in 61 games as a rookie — but he brings a hard-nosed style that should get him a look towards the middle rounds.

C Owen Martin (Oakbank, 6’0, 185 pounds, 54th-ranked skater): He’s viewed by scouts as a solid two-way centre with decent size. Martin suffered a broken foot in November after blocking a shot and played just 39 regular-season games with the Spokane Chiefs, registering 13 goals and 21 assists. He returned in time for the playoffs and had 12 points (6G, 6A) in 20 games.

RW Luke Mistelbacher (Steinbach, 6’0, 196 pounds, 93rd-ranked skater): He’ll be hoping second time might be the charm after going undrafted last year. Now 19, he had a monster season with the Swift Current Broncos in posting 93 points (42G, 51A) in 67 games.

Mistelbacher also signed an amateur tryout with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League and scored a goal in two games. He’s set to play this coming season with the Brandon Wheat Kings following a trade last month.

D Josh McGregor (Brandon, 6’1, 170 pounds, 111th-ranked skater): A teammate of both Kettles and Mistelbacher in Swift Current who just turned 18 earlier this month. He had 16 points (4G, 12A) as a rookie with the Broncos this past season and is viewed as an above-average skater.

D Jonas Woo (Winnipeg, 5’9, 165 pounds, 156th-ranked skater): This is now getting into the territory where being selected within the seven-round draft might be a longshot.

His older brother, Jett, was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the 2018 draft and has spent the first five years of his pro career playing in the AHL, including currently competing in the Calder Cup final for the Abbotsford Canucks.

Jonas is undersized but helped the Medicine Hat Tigers win the WHL championship with 43 points (11G, 32A) in 57 regular-season games and 13 points (0G, 13A) in 22 playoff contests, including losing the Memorial Cup final to the London Knights.

D Aiden Ziprick (Russell, 6’1, 190 pounds, 162nd-ranked skater): A productive season for this offensive defenceman who went undrafted in his first year of eligibility, with 48 points (12G, 36A) in 68 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors.

That’s a massive leap from last year, where he had just nine points (1G, 8A) in 54 WHL games. There’s good size and puck-moving and playmaking ability for the 19-year-old, who might just be a bit of a late bloomer.

RW Jett Lajoie (Winnipeg, 6’0, 178 pounds, 166th-ranked skater): Took some big strides this year with the Prince George Cougars in posting 35 points (14G, 21A) in 67 regular-season games after just 10 in 60 contests as a rookie. He was teammates with Bear and Martin at Churchill High School prior to them all heading to the WHL.

D Grayson Burzynski (Winnipeg, 6’4, 212 pounds, 191st-ranked skater): The fourth Manitoban who played with the Swift Current Broncos last season, he will now be joining Mistelbacher in Brandon this fall as he was part of the same deal.

The 20-year-old has gone undrafted twice now but is coming off a campaign in which he had 47 points (11G, 36A) in 62 regular-season games.

GOALTENDERS

G Burke Hood (Brandon, 6’3, 197 pounds, 15th-ranked goaltender): Goalies are voodoo, and predicting where they might get drafted is a bit of a fool’s game.

However, Hood would appear to have the best shot this year from Manitoba, coming off a rookie season with the Vancouver Giants in which he went 19-13-6 in 42 regular-season games with a 3.13 goals-against average and an impressive .910 save percentage along with three shutouts. His play really took off in the second half of the year, with a .931 save percentage after January 1.

G Ethan Simcoe (Lac du Bonnet, 6’1, 175 pounds, 27th-ranked goaltender): The Rink Hockey Academy graduate, who played one season in the British Columbia Hockey League, had an impressive rookie campaign in the WHL.

He appeared in 22 regular-season games with the Edmonton Oil Kings, registering a 13-6-1 record, three shutouts, 2.68 goals-against average and .911 save percentage, followed by five playoff contests where he went 2-3-0 with a 3.21 goals-against average and .870 save percentage.

G Raiden LeGall (Morden, 5’11, 170 pounds, 28th-ranked goaltender): He would be considered undersized for his position but put up big numbers in his rookie year with the Everett Silvertips.

LeGall had a 16-2-4 record during the regular season with a sparkling 2.17 goals-against average and .921 save percentage, then went 5-4-1 in 10 playoff tilts with a 2.67 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.

He played two years with with the Niverville Nighthawks of the MJHL before heading to the WHL. He is committed to go to Bemidji State.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg