VIDEO INTERVIEW: Thorpe Reflects on Season, Looks Ahead to NHL Draft
Vancouver, B.C. – The 2023-24 Western Hockey League season ended prematurely for Vancouver Giants forward Tyler Thorpe, after he suffered a skate laceration to his forearm on February 10.
At the time, the Richmond native had 23 goals in 51 games, after scoring four times in 48 games in his rookie season.
The cut Thorpe suffered was so deep that he is still rehabbing until the end of June, but he recently returned to the ice and is even shooting pucks now.
“Obviously shooting is still getting back there, but I’m shooting probably at around 75 percent,” Thorpe said. “No slap shots because still at risk of re-rupturing, but pretty much [that] would be the only [limitation] because you’re putting so much force into it.”
The towering winger is the 111th ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting on their final list for the upcoming 2024 NHL Entry Draft, and while he didn’t attend the NHL Scouting Combine last week, he has still be in touch with multiple NHL teams.
“Me and my agent have basically been talking to teams since pretty much the start of the season,” Thorpe said. “We’ve had numerous teams call. I couldn’t give you a number.”
Thorpe said he is feeling good ahead of the draft, but also understands he might not hear his name called on June 29.
“Obviously I would love to be drafted, but if some things go different ways, I’m not going to be upset about it,” Thorpe said. “I’m just going to keep working to hopefully get a contract or get another invite to another camp.
“My agent has been the biggest [help] for me. He is fully confident that whether I get drafted or not, he’s confident I will end up playing pro one day. He’s just making sure that I keep doing what I’m doing and keep working hard.”
Last summer, Thorpe attended prospects camp for the Ottawa Senators.
“I got more confidence in myself and my play style and I understood what my role was on the team,” Thorpe said when asked what changed for him from year one in the WHL to year two. “With obviously being a bigger body I need to be able to play a big-man role.”
Thorpe is still getting used to his size.
His first growth spurt wasn’t until quarantine in 2020, when he grew roughly half a foot in just three months, going from 5-foot-6 to about 6-feet. He is now 6-foot-5 and roughly 220 lbs.
“I definitely don’t feel I’m ay my peak ability and I don’t think anyone else does either,” he said. “I still have lots of room to grow, whether it’s skating or using my size because growing up I was a shorter guy, so that’s how I got used to playing and then once I grew, it’s obviously going to take time to get there, but I’m willing to work to get there.
“In these next two months, hopefully I get to around 225, 230 [lbs].”
Thorpe went back to his older trainer this off-season, Peter Glover, who helped him get from Junior B to the WHL.
“He’s basically been working me to the bone for the last two months pretty much,” Thorpe said. “I’m feeling great. I’ve gained a good amount of weight and he’s getting me in great shape for next season.”
The 2024-25 season is one Thorpe is extremely excited for, both personally and for the Giants as a team.
“I get older, I get stronger, I get faster and I get to stay under the same coach,” he said. “Obviously our 16s, our 17s all get older and then we get the young guys coming in too. So it’s a very exciting year with lots of talent, lots of guys growing from their last year in the WHL. This year we were young. We had four 16 year-olds, a bunch of 17-year-olds, a bunch of 18-year-olds and now all those guys get a year older.
“It’s looking like a more complete team now.”
