21 CHL Players Selected in First Round of 2025 NHL Draft
June 28, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL) News Release
LOS ANGELES, CA - The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to announce that 21 of its players were selected in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles on Friday- just one short of the all-time record of 22 set in 2013. With nine picks each from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL), and three from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), CHL players accounted for over 65% of all first-round selections, once again leading all development leagues worldwide. This marks just the fifth time since 1969 that 21 CHL players have been taken in the opening round, and the first time in more than a decade.
Of the 21 CHL selections, 16 were in the top 20, including 13 in the top 15- the league's strongest showing in those ranges since 1998, when 17 CHL players reached the top 20. This year also extends the CHL's remarkable streak of producing 10 or more first-round picks for the 57th consecutive NHL Draft, a run dating back to 1969 that highlights the league's lasting influence on hockey's highest level.
"The fact that the CHL is celebrating its best showing in over a decade with 21 first-round picks is a testament to the commitment of our players and the environment our teams create to get them prepared for the NHL," stated Dan MacKenzie, CHL President. "No league prepares young hockey players for the rigors of pro hockey like the CHL, and tonight's draft results prove that."
Defenceman Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters / OHL) was the first of 21 CHL players selected Friday, becoming the first OHL player taken first overall since Connor McDavid in 2015- the only other Otters player to hold that distinction. Schaefer is just the 11th defenceman in CHL history, and only the second this century, to be chosen No. 1 overall. Drafted by the New York Islanders, Schaefer recorded 22 points (7G-15A) and a +21 rating in 17 games before an injury ended his season. Internationally, he captained Canada to gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, leading all defencemen with six points in five games, and played a key role in Team CHL's win at the inaugural 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada.
Following Schaefer, Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit / OHL) was selected second overall by the San Jose Sharks, setting a new franchise record for the highest draft pick in Saginaw history- surpassing teammate Zayne Parekh's No. 9 selection just a year earlier. Schaefer (1st overall) and Misa (2nd overall) also combined to become the first CHL players to be picked in the top two since 2020: Alexis Lafrenière (Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL) and Quinton Byfield (Sudbury Wolves / OHL).
Soon after, as one of five OHL skaters taken among the first eight picks, forward Jake O'Brien (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL) became only the second player in Bulldogs history to be drafted in the first round, establishing a new franchise benchmark by going eighth overall to the Seattle Kraken. Closing out the nine OHL draftees was defenceman Henry Brzustewicz (London Knights / OHL), selected 31st overall by the Los Angeles Kings. His pick extended the London Knights' CHL-record streak to 56 consecutive years- and 57 straight NHL Drafts- with at least one player chosen. Brzustewicz also became the 200th player in Knights history to be drafted into the NHL.
Leading a decade-high nine first-round picks from the WHL was defenceman Radim Mrtka (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL), selected ninth overall by the Buffalo Sabres. Drafted tenth by the Anaheim Ducks, Roger McQueen (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL) rounded out the eight CHL players taken in the top 10. Meanwhile, Joshua Ravensbergen (Prince George Cougars / WHL) was chosen 30th overall by the San Jose Sharks, becoming the first CHL and WHL goalie selected in the first round in four years. Ravensbergen is only the second goaltender in Cougars franchise history to be drafted in the opening round- following Hockey Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr, who was taken eighth overall in 1981 when the team was based in Victoria- and the first since the club relocated to Prince George in 1994-95.
Among the three QMJHL players selected in the first round was Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL), taken fourth overall by the Utah Mammoth. He became the highest draft pick in Moncton franchise history and the first QMJHLer selected inside the top five since Alexis Lafrenière (Rimouski Océanic) went first overall in 2020. Later in the round, taken 19th by the St. Louis Blues, Justin Carbonneau (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada / QMJHL) also made franchise history by becoming the first Armada player ever drafted in the opening round.
Following tonight's first round, the total number of CHL alumni chosen in the opening round since 1969 has reached 922, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all first-round picks during that span. The CHL continues to lead the way in developing NHL talent - of the 1,000+ players who appeared in an NHL game during the 2024-25 season, more than 415 came through the CHL, the highest total of any development league in the world.
21 CHL Players selected in the First Round of the 2025 NHL Draft
Players with hyperlinked team names have video profiles from the #MeetTheFuture series presented by Kubota Canada. The statistics listed below come from the 2024-25 season.
*denotes players who competed in the 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada
1. Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters / OHL, D)* - New York Islanders: Awarded the CHL's Top Prospect Award in 2024-25, Schaefer recorded 22 points (7G-15A) and a +21 rating in just 17 games this season before being sidelined by injury; one of only seven players in history to win gold with Team Canada at the World U17 Challenge (2023), IIHF U18 World Championship (2024), and Hlinka Gretzky Cup (2024).
2. Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit / OHL, C)* - San Jose Sharks: Awarded the CHL Top Scorer Award and named a CHL First Team All-Star in 2024-25, Misa led the league with 134 points (62G-72A) in 65 games as captain of the Saginaw Spirit - becoming the first player in franchise history to win the CHL scoring title. His 62 goals were the most by an OHL player in their draft year since Patrick Kane netted the same in 2006-07.
4. Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL, C)* - Utah Mammoth: Desnoyers finished fifth in QMJHL scoring with 84 points (35G-49A) in 56 games, while his 1.50 points-per-game average ranked second in the league. Desnoyers was named 2025 QMJHL Playoffs MVP - becoming just the eighth NHL Draft-eligible player since 2000 to earn playoff MVP honours across the CHL, joining elite company like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Jonathan Huberdeau.
5. Brady Martin (Soo Greyhounds / OHL, C)* - Nashville Predators: Martin averaged 1.26 points per game and ranked second on his team with 72 points (33G-39A) in 57 games - a 44-point jump from his rookie season. Internationally, he won gold with Canada at both the 2025 U18 World Championship, where he wore an 'A' and tied for fifth in tournament scoring (3G-8A), and the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (4A in 5 GP).
6. Porter Martone (Brampton Steelheads / OHL, RW)* - Philadelphia Flyers: Wearing the 'C' for the Steelheads, he led the team with 98 points (37G-61A) in 57 games this season, ranking seventh in OHL scoring. In 2024, he set a new career scoring record by a Canadian at the IIHF U18 World Championship with 23 points (8G-15A), surpassing Connor Bedard's previous mark of 21.
8. Jake O'Brien (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL, C)* - Seattle Kraken: O'Brien finished the 2024-25 season tied for seventh in both assists and points in the OHL (32G-66A in 66 GP), while leading the OHL with 41 power-play assists. Named a CHL All-Rookie and won the Emms Family Award as OHL Rookie of the Year in 2023-24.
9. Radim Mrtka (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL, D) - Buffalo Sabres: Registered 35 points (3G-32A) in 42 games during his first WHL season, ranking third in points per game (0.81) among rookie defencemen in the WHL. He also tied for fifth in team scoring, leading all Thunderbirds rookies and defencemen, and helped Czechia earn silver at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
10. Roger McQueen (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL, C) - Anaheim Ducks: Despite missing 51 games, McQueen recorded a point in 71% of his appearances and led his team with a 1.18 points-per-game average. He also captured gold with Team Canada at both the 2024 U18 World Championship and the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
11. Ben Kindel (Calgary Hitmen / WHL, C)* - Pittsburgh Penguins: Finished the 2024-25 season with 99 points (35G-64A) in 65 games, placing seventh in WHL scoring. His 64 assists were the most by a Calgary Hitmen player in 15 years and the sixth-most in franchise history. He also set a team record with a 23-game point streak (15G-30A), the WHL's second-longest of the 2024-25 campaign.
12. Jack Nesbitt (Windsor Spitfires / OHL, C) - Philadelphia Flyers: Produced nearly a point per game in 2024-25 with 64 points (25G-39A) in 65 games - a 46-point jump from his rookie season. Won gold with Canada at the 2025 Under-18 World Championship, recording five points (2G-3A) in six games.
13. Carter Bear (Everett Silvertips / WHL, LW)* - Detroit Red Wings: Bear finished the 2024-25 season tied for seventh in goals and second in game-winning goals (tied) across the WHL, recording 40 goals and 42 assists for 82 points in 56 games. He became just the sixth player in Everett Silvertips history to reach the 40-goal mark in a single season.
14. Jackson Smith (Tri-City Americans / WHL, D)* - Columbus Blue Jackets: Smith ranked 10th in WHL defenceman scoring with 54 points (11G-43A) in 68 games, while his 43 assists tied for ninth among WHL blueliners. He won gold with Canada at the 2025 U18 World Championship, tying for the tournament lead in goals by a defenceman (4).
15. Braeden Cootes (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL, C)* - Vancouver Canucks: Led his team in scoring with 63 points (26G-37A) in 60 games, including 18 multi-point outings. Named captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds at just 17, he also wore the 'C' for Canada at the 2025 Under-18 World Championship, where he led the gold medal-winning team with 12 points (6G-6A) in 7 games.
17. Kashawn Aitcheson (Barrie Colts / OHL, D)* - New York Islanders: Aitcheson led the Barrie Colts in scoring with 59 points (26G-33A in 64 GP), tying for the eighth-most by a defenceman in franchise history. He ranked third in goals and seventh in points among all OHL blueliners.
18. Cole Reschny (Victoria Royals / WHL, C)* - Calgary Flames: Posted 92 points (26G-66A) in 62 games, finishing sixth in WHL assists and tied for ninth in points during the 2024-25 season. He added 25 points (9G-16A) in the playoffs, ranking second in postseason points-per-game (2.27) through two rounds.
19. Justin Carbonneau (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada / QMJHL, RW)* - St. Louis Blues: Finished second in QMJHL scoring with 46 goals and 43 assists for 89 points in 62 games - the fourth-highest single-season total in Blainville-Boisbriand history. In 2023-24, he led the team with 31 goals and ranked second with 59 points, a 39-point jump from his rookie season.
21. Cameron Reid (Kitchener Rangers / OHL, D)* - Nashville Predators: Finished 10th among OHL defencemen in 2024-25 with 54 points (14G-40A) in 67 games, tied for third on his team and improving by 31 points from his rookie season. Won gold with Canada at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (2 assists in 5 games).
22. Bill Zonnon (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada / QMJHL, C - played the last three seasons with Rouyn-Noranda Huskies) - Pittsburgh Penguins: Ranked fifth in assists and tied for seventh in scoring in the QMJHL with 83 points (28G-55A in 64 GP), Zonnon served as an alternate captain for the Huskies. He added 16 points (8G-8A) in 13 playoff games, tying for sixth in postseason goals and ninth in points per game (1.23) in the QMJHL.
27. Lynden Lakovic (Moose Jaw Warriors / WHL, LW)* - Washington Capitals: Posted 58 points (27G-31A) in 47 games, finishing with the fifth-highest points-per-game rate (1.23) among draft-eligible WHL players. He led Moose Jaw in scoring by a 10-point margin and recorded a 13-game point streak - tied for the 11th longest in the WHL. In 2023-24, he helped the Warriors capture the franchise's first-ever WHL Championship title.
30. Joshua Ravensbergen (Prince George Cougars / WHL, G)* - San Jose Sharks: Finished the season tied for second in wins with a 33-13-3-1 record. Ravensbergen was one of five goalies to play 50 games in 2024-25, posting a .901 save percentage, tied for 13th in the WHL. In 2023-24, he set a WHL rookie record with six shutouts.
31. Henry Brzustewicz (London Knights / OHL, D) - Los Angeles Kings: Ranked among the top 20 OHL defensemen in scoring with 42 points (10G-32A), marking a 36-point jump from his rookie season. He won the 2025 Memorial Cup and posted 5 points (1G-4A) in 17 playoff games during the Knights' 2025 OHL Championship run. He also helped the Knights win an OHL title in 2024.
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