Dual-sport star Mason West is a 2025 draft prospect with a rising stock
Mason West is hard to miss.
The hulking center is always the center of attention, whether that’s with Edina on Minnesota’s high-school circuit or with Fargo in the United States Hockey League. After graduating from the Minnesota high school hockey ranks this season, West impressed during a short stint where he produced almost a point-per- game with nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 10 contests before participating in a pair of playoff skates.
His exploits on the gridiron got him plenty of attention, too.
The 2025 NHL Draft eligible was also an outstanding quarterback for his high school but has made the decision to focus solely on hockey. The big man with plenty of finesse to his game will certainly have a gaggle of NHL clubs interested in making him part of their organization.
“While it was a small sample size, West looked impressive after joining Fargo coming out of high school,” FC Hockey scout Jacob Roth said. “The team wasted no time using him heavily, as he played an average of 18 minutes in the last 12 USHL games of the season. He didn’t look out of place at all and seemed comfortable in any situation he found himself in.”
Who is Mason West?
West hails from Edina, Minnesota, and attended Edina High, the alma mater of New York Islanders captain Anders Lee. The 6-foot-6, 207-pound forward finished as the No. 56 ranked player in FCHockey’s Final ranking for the 2025 draft. He was the No. 27-ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking, too.
Mason West’s Path So Far
West played AAA hockey growing up in Minnesota. As a 14-year-old in the 2022-23 season, the dual-sport star produced 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in 11 games with the North Stars 15U team. He also played in 30 games of high school hockey, scoring 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists). His team finished the season with a 2-1 loss in the state final.
The following season, West improved on his production total to 38 points (15 goals, 23 assists) in 31 games. Edina returned to the state final, this time beating Chanhassen 2-1 to claim a title.
West returned to Edina to start his draft year, finishing second on the team with 49 points (27 goals, 22 assists) in 31 games. The team finished as section champions but finished third at the state tournament. West potted a hat trick in the semifinals in a 4-3 loss to the eventual champion and top-seeded Morehead. He scored a goal and added an assist in a 4-3 win for Edina in the third-place game.
With his high school hockey over near the start of March, the behemoth joined Fargo in the USHL. West played in his first game of junior hockey shortly after leaving Edina, picking up an assist and five shots on goal in a 4-1 loss to Muskegon. He played in nine more regular season games and got into a pair of playoff games.
West is bound for college hockey next season, opting to stick with the hockey route, though he reportedly had some interesting options to potentially pursue his quarterbacking at the Div. 1 level in the NCAA.
Strengths of Mason West
The right-handed West, who played center and right wing for Edina in 2024-25, moves well for his size and possesses a multifaceted offensive game.
“He has soft hands for a big man and can stick-handle through traffic and out of trouble when needed,” Roth said. ”Positionally, I thought he was really sound, and because of his size, he can really clog a lot of space on the forecheck and in the defensive zone.”
The big-bodied forward has an impressive tool kit that his game is built on.
“His biggest strengths come in his physical stature paired with solid skating and high-end IQ,” FCHockey scout Kyle Pereira said. “It helps that he also has a balanced offensive game, with solid playmaking and shooting abilities.”
Areas of Improvement for Mason West
While West might possess solid shooting capability, there’s still work to be done on it.
“His shot is the only glaring weakness in his game,” Roth said. “It’s a super long motion that he fails to generate much power from at all.”
Elsewhere, his positioning in the offensive zone still has some room to grow.
“He needs to work on his consistency and off-puck tendencies,” Pereira said. “While he is smart, he tends to stick to the medium- and low-danger areas, despite his size and strength. Attacking the higher danger areas could open up his game, and he should be able to do so with his stature.”
Mason West’s Outlook
As West makes the transition to being a hockey player full-time, it will be interesting to see how his game evolves. He’s a very intriguing prospect for a lot of reasons, and a frequent favorite among fanbases as a potential second-round target.
There’s a reason, after all, 27 teams have requested to talk to the 17-year-old at the NHL Scouting Combine.
“I’d define him as a major risk-and-reward prospect, as he has played a very limited amount of high-level hockey but comes with an excellent trait package,” Pereira said. “He’s got size, smarts, and solid skating.” He also made a seamless transition to the USHL.”
West currently profiles as a third-liner in the NHL with some special teams ability. However, he’s got plenty of runway to grow as he dedicates his life to one sport.
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