Kitchener’s Rising Star: How Cameron Reid’s hockey IQ sets him apart
A potential first-round pick at the 2025 NHL Draft, Cameron Reid has emerged as one of the most well-rounded – and perhaps underrated – defencemen in this year’s class.
The 6-foot, 174-pound first-round selection of the Kitchener Rangers in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection doesn’t fit the towering NHL blueliner prototype. But what he lacks in size, he more than makes up for with elite skating, defensive IQ, and a composed, two-way game that has flourished under head coach Jussi Ahokas, the recent winner of the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHL Coach of the Year.
“He brought a European style of hockey to our team that a lot of us had never been around,” Reid said. “We’re thriving off it. It’s really cool seeing how he knows the game and can teach it to us.”
That system has allowed Reid to lean into his strengths: skating, positioning, and smart decision-making. Not only was he one of the league’s dependable shutdown defenders, he was also sitting just shy of a point per game. Finishing the 2024-25 regular season with 54 points (14-40-54) in 67 games, nearly doubling his offensive production from the year before.
“I’d describe my game as a 200-foot defenseman,” Reid said. “I try to take opportunities off the rush to create offence, but ultimately I want to keep the puck out of our net.”
And his growth hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“He’s either very, very, very good or just very good,” said Rangers GM Mike McKenzie. “It’s undeniable at this point that he’s going to be a really good player.”
That composure traces back to his roots. Growing up in the small town of Aylmer, ON, Reid spent his early years watching OHL games and dreaming of one day playing in them.
“I had watched a lot of London Knights games as a kid,” he said. “I had always loved the idea of the OHL and being close to home. When I got drafted to Kitchener, I was super excited. I had heard nothing but great things about the organization, and I knew it was the right fit for me.”
Now, he’s in the thick of one of the league’s most heated rivalries – and loving it.
“Being on the other side of the Kitchener-London rivalry has been awesome,” Reid said. “Growing up, I dreamed of being a Knight. But now, being on this side of it, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Reid also showed well on the national stage. He earned a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, picked up three assists at the CHL/USA Top Prospects Challenge (earning Team West MVP), and competed at both the U17 World Championship and the OHL Top Prospects Game.
While some scouts might have initially overlooked him due to his frame, Reid’s performance this season has left little doubt.
“People get caught up in height,” McKenzie said. “But if he keeps playing the way he is, more and more people are going to jump on his bandwagon. He’s proven a lot of people wrong.”
After a breakout year, Reid has earned his place in the conversation among the draft’s top defencemen. But beyond the stats and scouting reports, it’s a moment he’s been working for his whole life.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s every hockey kid’s dream to hear their name called at the NHL Draft.”
And now, with the draft on the horizon, that next step is finally within reach.
The 2025 NHL Draft will be live from L.A. Live’s Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on June 27-28.
