4 Giants Listed by NHL Central Scouting on Preliminary List for 2025 NHL Entry Draft
Langley, B.C. – Four Vancouver Giants players have been listed by NHL Central Scouting on their ‘Preliminary Players to Watch’ list for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, which was announced Wednesday morning.
Leading the way was forward Cameron Schmidt, who was given a ‘B’ rating, followed by goaltender Matthew Hutchison (‘C’), forward Aaron Obobaifo (‘C’) and goaltender Burke Hood (‘W’). Twenty-one of 22 Western Hockey League clubs are represented in the preliminary rankings. With four players, the Giants are tied for the second-most with Victoria. Calgary and Spokane each have five.
A ‘B’ rating indicates a second or third round candidate, ‘C’ rated players project as fourth or fifth-round picks and a ‘W’ rating indicates a player who could go in the sixth or seventh round. The agency also used the ‘LV’ (Limited Viewing) tag to recognize injured players who haven’t had sufficient viewing to be categorized.
Below is the breakdown of the four Giants players.
| Rating | Last Name | First Name | Hometown | Team | Ht | Wt | Pos |
| B | Schmidt | Cameron | Prince George, B.C. | Vancouver Giants | 5’7″ | 161 | RW |
| C | Hutchison | Matthew | Nanaimo, B.C. | Vancouver Giants | 6’3″ | 189 | G |
| C | Obobaifo | Aaron | Calgary, Alta. | Vancouver Giants | 5’10” | 183 | LW |
| W | Hood | Burke | Brandon, Man. | Vancouver Giants | 6’3″ | 197 | G |
A total of 55 Western Hockey League players were named to the list: 35 forwards, 10 defencemen and 10 goaltenders.
Six WHL players have received an ‘A’ rating: Edmonton Oil Kings defenceman Blake Fiddler, Moose Jaw Warriors forward Lynden Lakovic, Brandon Wheat Kings forward Roger McQueen, Victoria Royals centreman Cole Reschny, Tri-City Americans defenceman Jackson Smith and Prince George Cougars netminder Joshua Ravensbergen.
Schmidt – who was named to Team CHL yesterday for the 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge – was one of 10 WHL players to receive a ‘B’ rating.
2024-25 NHL Central Scouting ‘Preliminary Players to Watch’ List – WHL Players
| Rating | Last Name | First Name | Hometown | Team | Height | Weight | POS |
| A | Fiddler | Blake | Frisco, Texas | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’4 | 209 | D |
| A | Lakovic | Lynden | West Kelowna, B.C | Moose Jaw Warriors | 6’4.25 | 190 | LW |
| A | McQueen | Roger | Saskatoon, Sask. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’5/25 | 197 | C |
| A | Ravensbergen | Joshua | North Vancouver, B.C. | Prince George Cougars | 6’5.25 | 190 | G |
| A | Reschny | Cole | Macklin, Sask. | Victoria Royals | 5’10.5 | 183 | C |
| A | Smith | Jackson | Calgary, Alta. | Tri-City Americans | 6’3.25 | 195 | D |
| B | Bear | Carter | West St. Paul, Man. | Everett Silvertips | 6’0 | 179 | LW |
| B | Behm | Nathan | Calgary, Alta. | Kamloops Blazers | 6’1.5 | 192 | RW |
| B | Cootes | Braeden | Sherwood Park, Alta. | Seattle Thunderbirds | 5’11.25 | 183 | C |
| B | Gard | Matthew | Winnipeg, Man. | Red Deer Rebels | 6’4.75 | 192 | C |
| B | Hamilton | Reese | Whitewood, Sask. | Calgary Hitmen | 6’0 | 172 | D |
| B | Kettles | Peyton | Winnipeg, Man. | Swift Current Broncos | 6’5.25 | 190 | D |
| B | Kindel | Benjamin | Coquitlam, B.C. | Calgary Hitmen | 5’10 | 176 | C |
| B | Martin | Owen | Oakbank, Man. | Spokane Chiefs | 5’11.75 | 185 | C |
| B | Paupanekis | Hayden | Winnipeg, Man. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’4.25 | 196 | C |
| B | Schmidt | Cameron | Prince George, B.C. | Vancouver Giants | 5’7.25 | 161 | RW |
| C | Bridgeman | Kolten | Regina, Sask. | Regina Pats | 6’4 | 216 | D |
| C | Foster | Aiden | Lloydminster, Alta. | Prince George Cougars | 6’2 | 182 | C |
| C | Gavin | Jordan | Surrey, B.C. | Tri-City Americans | 5’11 | 187 | LW |
| C | Gorzynski | Brandon | Scottsdale, Ariz. | Calgary Hitmen | 6’1.5 | 185 | C |
| C | Hutchison | Matthew | Nanaimo, B.C. | Vancouver Giants | 6’2.5 | 189 | G |
| C | Klippenstein | Carter | Lethbridge, Alta. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 6’2.5 | 180 | C |
| C | Koch | Cassius | Calgary, Alta. | Tri-City Americans | 5’11.25 | 197 | LW |
| C | Kraus | Jayden | Prince Albert, Sask. | Victoria Royals | 6’1.5 | 201 | G |
| C | Lajoie | Jett | Winnipeg, Man. | Prince George Cougars | 5’11.5 | 178 | RW |
| C | McCann | Kadon | Cochrane, Alta. | Medicine Hat Tigers | 6’3 | 200 | C |
| C | Obobaifo | Aaron | Calgary, Alta. | Vancouver Giants | 5’9.5 | 183 | LW |
| C | Sharpe | Will | Ladner, B.C. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’0 | 195 | D |
| C | Stebetak | Ondrej | Jihlava, Cze. | Portland Winterhawks | 6’1.5 | 173 | G |
| C | Vlooswyk | Luke | Calgary, Alta. | Red Deer Rebels | 6’4.5 | 200 | D |
| C | Zahejsky | Vit | Karlovy Vary, Cze. | Kamloops Blazers | 5’9.75 | 175 | C |
| W | Andresen | Kash | Saskatoon, Sask. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’1.5 | 182 | C |
| W | Baumuller | Joby | Wilcox, Sask. | Brandon Wheat Kings | 5’11.25 | 188 | RW |
| W | Bibeau | Ethan | Winnipeg, Man. | Prince Albert Raiders | 6’1 | 187 | C |
| W | Cleaver | Koen | Port Alberni, B.C. | Lethbridge Hurricanes | 6’1.5 | 188 | G |
| W | Coupland | Ty | North Vancouver, B.C. | Swift Current Broncos | 5’10.25 | 154 | RW |
| W | Cowan | Dawson | Warren, Man. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’2 | 186 | G |
| W | Hood | Burke | Brandon, Man. | Vancouver Giants | 6’2.75 | 197 | G |
| W | James | William | Calgary, Alta. | Saskatoon Blades | 5’10.25 | 154 | RW |
| W | Lafreniere | Tommy | Hornby Island, B.C. | Kamloops Blazers | 5’11 | 172 | RW |
| W | Lewandowski | David | Dusseldorf, Ger. | Saskatoon Blades | 6’1.25 | 177 | LW |
| W | Matthews | Caleb | Calgary, Alta. | Victoria Royals | 6’1.75 | 173 | RW |
| W | Mayes | Sawyer | Salmon Arm, B.C. | Calgary Hitmen | 6’4 | 188 | C |
| W | Michnik | Spencer | Sylvan Lake, Alta. | Victoria Royals | 6’1 | 202 | G |
| W | Miller | Ryan | Medicine Hat, Alta. | Portland Winterhawks | 5’11.75 | 177 | C |
| W | Pekar | Matej | Prerov, Cze. | Seattle Thunderbirds | 5’10 | 158 | RW |
| W | Perry | Hudson | Sexsmith, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 6’2 | 164 | G |
| W | Pilon | Jake | Calgary, Alta. | Kelowna Rockets | 6’4.25 | 210 | G |
| W | Sarkenov | Asanali | Astana, Kaz. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’4 | 198 | RW |
| W | Sawchyn | Lukas | Grande Prairie, Alta. | Edmonton Oil Kings | 5’9.75 | 168 | C |
| W | Schmidt | Connor | Sturgeon County, Alta. | Moose Jaw Warriors | 5’11.25 | 180 | D |
| W | Schoettler | Owen | Edmonton, Alta. | Spokane Chiefs | 6’0 | 181 | D |
| W | Svancara | Robin | Trinec, Cze. | Calgary Hitmen | 6’4 | 186 | LW |
| W | Temple | Cole | Brandon, Man. | Regina Pats | 5’9.25 | 166 | C |
| W | Woo | Jonas | Winnipeg, Man. | Medicine Hat | 5’8.75 | 165 | D |
