2025 NHL Draft profile: Jackson Smith, Tri-City Americans

A whirlwind season filled with new highs, gold medals, fitness testing and a flurry of interviews is about to come to a head for Jackson Smith.

“You’ve been waiting your whole life, basically, for this,” Smith said in the lead-up to the 2025 NHL Draft. “It’s felt like it’s been a long year, but now you’re here, and it’s like, ‘where’d that year just go?'”

The Tri-City Americans defenceman is projected to be one of the WHL’s highest picks in this year’s draft.

He’s ranked 13th among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and also slotted in at 13 in TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button’s final rankings in early June.

“Jackson is an elite skater,” Button said. “His ability to get the puck up the ice in very few strides, and certainly, (he’s) somebody that’s going to be able to play a lot of big minutes in the game. He’s going to be able to play on the penalty kill. He’s going to be able to add some offence because he’ll get the puck into the offensive zone.”

That’s exactly what the 6-foot-3, 195-pound defenceman was able to flex in his third season with the Ams.

Smith picked up 11 goals and 43 assists for 54 points in 68 games with Tri-City, finishing fourth on the squad in points and third in assists.

Jackson Smith's resume speaks for itself!🥵@TCAmericans | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/0Y4C4aJKTt

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 13, 2025

Notably, he led the Americans – and tied for first among all WHL defencemen- in game-winning goals with four, three of which came in overtime.

“I was an overtime merchant there for a little bit,” Smith laughed. “I love it. That’s my game. I love playing three-on-three. I think my best quality as a hockey player is my skating. When there’s open ice and I can skate, I take that ice and just have a bit more time to make a play or be a bit more offensive and be a bit more free.”

He’s most proud of how the defensive side of his game has developed- particularly when it comes to making reads, knowing when to jump up in the play and shutting down the opposition on the rush.

Smith’s play earned him an invite to the first-ever CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada in November of 2024 and helped the Americans return to the WHL Playoffs after a one-season absence.

“He’s found a good balance of using his offensive ability and picking his spots on when to go and when to create offense,” Then-Americans Head Coach Stu Barnes said ahead of the Prospects Challenge. “But he’s also improved his defensive game as well. I think he’s more comfortable in the D-zone. He’s a big guy that has a big reach and so he’s very comfortable defending. He’s smart with his stick and a very, very good player.”

He also tied for the team lead in playoff scoring with a goal and two assists in five games.

While Tri-City exited the postseason in Round One at the hands of the B.C. Division Champion Victoria Royals, he got to showcase his game once more with Canada at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship in Texas.

Smith potted four goals (T-1 among all defencemen at the tournament) and an assist en route to winning a gold medal (his second of the season, after racking up three assists at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup last August).

He spoke with 21 NHL teams at the 2025 NHL Combine in Buffalo, N.Y., and even finished seventh in VO2Max during fitness testing.

Jackson Smith lives for some quality h2o.

When he wasn’t whipping around the ice in rinks across Calgary, the @TCAmericans blueliner and 2025 #NHLDraft top prospect was surging through swim lanes as a record-holding, competitive swimmer! pic.twitter.com/1kavyQ0X3y

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 23, 2025

While Smith will be heading to Penn State for 2025-26, he’ll remember his time in the WHL fondly, particularly time spent with his teammates and his billet family, Brent and Colleen Smith.

“It was incredible,” Smith added. “They helped me so much. So these past two, even three years, when I was called up as a 15-year-old, just gave me so much opportunity. It helped me grow as a person and as a player, matured a lot on and off the ice. You know, just having Jody (Hull), Stu (Barnes), T.J. (Millar), and a lot of NHL experience there behind the bench coaching me, being able to be coached by them, it’s helped me improve my game a ton and be more NHL-ready. Hopefully, I can make that jump a bit sooner rather than later.

Thank you, Tri-City, and thank you to the WHL. I had an incredible time and couldn’t ask for more. It’s been a good run and I’m excited for the next chapter, too.”

More than 60 of Smith’s closest family and friends will accompany him to Los Angeles, Calif., for the 2025 NHL Draft next week.

The first round kicks off on Friday, June 27, with Rounds 2-7 continuing on June 28.