VIDEO INTERVIEW: Schmidt Talks NHL Draft, Winning Gold with Canada
Vancouver, B.C. – In Cameron Schmidt’s rookie season in the Western Hockey League, he scored 31 goals to shatter Gilbert Brule’s franchise record for goals by a 16-year-old, a mark set 20 years earlier at 25 goals.
And the encore?
Schmidt scored 40 times in 61 games in 2024-25, becoming just the third 17-year-old in Vancouver Giants history to score 40 or more goals in a single season, joining Evander Kane and Brendan Gallagher.
“A year definitely makes a big difference,” Schmidt said. “Just being a bit bigger, a bit stronger, knowing the game a bit more, just the little areas that you need to improve to help in that next season…Every year is going to get better and better.”
Although Schmidt’s pace slowed down in February, he finished the season with six goals and 12 points in his final seven games of the season, before leading the Giants in scoring in the playoffs with nine points in just five games.
The now 18-year-old believes his late-season drought helped him round out his game.
“[I] wasn’t able to score as much, so it’s just getting in on the forecheck more, looking for my teammates more, just expanding my game in that way,” Schmidt said. “I think it kind of helped going into playoffs, just being in a bit of a drought there and being able to fight through it.”
Schmidt has long been considered a top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft, thanks to his incredible speed, lethal shot and his ability to process the game quickly. He was one of just 20 WHL players invited to the NHL Combine in early June, where he excelled in fitness testing.
But because of his 5-foot-8 stature, NHL teams will always be hesitant. That’s why Schmidt is just the 43rd ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting on their final list for the NHL Entry Draft.
However, many other rankings have him much higher, including Craig Button’s June ranking for TSN (19th overall), Rachel Doerrie’s June ranking for ESPN (19th overall) and Elite Prospect’s Final ranking (22nd overall).
Regardless of where he is selected, the Prince George, B.C. product said experiencing the draft will be a dream come true.
“It’s something I’ve wanted to be a part of and experience for my whole life,” Schmidt said. “You grow up, watching the draft on TV and seeing everybody’s dreams come true, so that’s something that I’m really looking forward to.”
The draft takes place on June 27 and 28 in Los Angeles.