By Stephen Laroche
For a young hockey player, the path to glory is a long and arduous journey. With early morning practices, long road trips, and valuable lessons learned along the way, the dream of being a professional hockey star becomes much more vivid when they are chosen to join one of the league’s member clubs. This year, over 200 promising talents will hear their names called out at the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft as they follow in the footsteps of legends.
Upper Deck is proud to once again be the title sponsor for this highly-anticipated annual event and this will be the fourth straight year in which the company will be the title sponsor. The New York Islanders will kick off the proceedings with the premier pick after winning the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery. This marks the fifth time in franchise history that they will make the initial selection – the last occurrence being in 2009 when they called out the name of current Toronto Maple Leafs star John Tavares.
Erie Defender Expected Top Pick
Projected to go first overall on draft day is Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who recently became an Upper Deck Exclusive Athlete for trading cards and memorabilia. A rushing blueliner that plays a solid two-way game, he made a major impact with scouts before sustaining a broken collarbone while suiting up for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. Over 17 OHL contests, he racked up a whopping 22 points and has the potential to become a number one D-man at the pro level.
Upper Deck Exclusive Misa an Appealing Choice
The Ontario Hockey League is expected to be strongly represented in the first round of the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft – including another promising Upper Deck exclusive athlete in Saginaw Spirit forward Michael Misa. At the age of 15, he was taken first overall in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection after being granted exceptional status by Hockey Canada. A prime offensive talent, he played an integral role in Saginaw’s Memorial Cup victory as a sophomore and followed it up with a monster season in 2024-25 where he paced the league with 134 points before taking home the Red Tilson Trophy as Most Outstanding Player.
Bumper Crop of Potential Stars from the OHL
Porter Martone was part of the Canadian squad that the World Juniors like Schaefer was and made a big splash in his draft year. Racking up 98 points over 57 games with the Brampton Steelheads, he earns attention for his offensive skills – but his physical game should not be underrated. In May, he was invited to skate with his country once again at the 2025 IIHF World Championship.
Other notable prospects that competed in the OHL this season include Jake O’Brien of the Hamilton Bulldogs, Kashawn Aitcheson of the Barrie Colts, and Brady Martin of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. O’Brien captured the Emms Family Award as the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2023-24 and followed it with a 98-point campaign, while Aitcheson scored 26 times from the blue line in addition to frustrating opposing skaters with his strong physical and defensive play. Martin’s stock rose throughout the season thanks to impressive work ethic and on-ice intensity. Along with Misa and Martone, all three of these talents appeared in the inaugural Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game.
More CHL Prospects Slated for First Round
In addition to those that skated in the OHL last season, there are other junior stars that were able to shine in the Western Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League which will hear their names called in the early stages of the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft. Radim Mrtka from the Seattle Thunderbirds and Roger McQueen of the Brandon Wheat Kings have raised the eyebrows of scouts along with Caleb Desnoyers, Moncton Wildcats. McQueen is a towering center that has first-line potential and is not afraid to dig for the puck when he needs to. Mrtka, a defenseman who hails from Czechia, is also blessed with great size and gets attention for both his speed and cannonading shot. Desnoyers is often described as competitive and earns accolades for many aspects of his game.
Hagens Leads the Collegiate Pack
Also rated highly is James Hagens, an outstanding freshman from Boston College. Able to conjure up offense with relative ease, this Upper Deck Exclusive Athlete made fans and scouts take notice thanks to an impressive performance en route to a gold medal with the United States at the World Junior Championship. Once he hits NHL ice, he is sure to impress with strong skating and playmaking ability – but collectors will also be able to get his first trading cards soon in packs and boxes of 2025 Upper Deck World of Sports Volume 1!
Several international prospects are also expected to be chosen early on draft day and two of them are teammates with the champion Djurgardens IF club in Sweden. Anton Frondell is a powerful shooter that makes the most out of scoring opportunities and he thrived alongside Victor Eklund, who led all Allsveskan juniors in both goals and points.
The 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft will take place from June 27-28 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. Stay tuned for more details regarding Upper Deck’s involvement in this exciting event!
