Tyler Hopkins is a rising prospect to watch for the 2025 NHL Draft
Tyler Hopkins may not garner the attention that some others have in the 2025 NHL Draft class, but his game speaks loud enough.
It is not surprising that he has been underappreciated after a slow start to his draft season, but his speed and puck play are making scouts take notice and his game has more than started to show through to the point a team would be wise to call his name in June.
Who is Tyler Hopkins?
Hopkins is a native of Cambellford, ON. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound two-way center is No. 68 in FCHockey’s Winter ranking for the 2025 draft, and was No. 68 amongst North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm ranking after garnering a ‘C’ grade, indicating a potential fourth- or fifth-round candidate, in their Players To Watch list last October.
Tyler Hopkins’ path so far
Hopkins, who played his youth hockey with the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs, captained the Halton Hurricanes U16 AAA in the 2022-23 season and registered 69 points (37 goals, 32 assists) in 31 regular-season games. He added another five goals and eight assists in the playoffs with the Hurricanes before joining the Hamilton Kilty B’s of the GOJHL for five playoff games, logging four points (three goals, one assist).
He was taken with the No. 4 pick by Kingston in the 2023 OHL Draft. In his first Ontario Hockey League season, Hopkins scored a modest 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 59 regular-season games, but added four assists in five games in Kingston’s first round loss to North Bay.
Hopkins also joined Team Canada White for the U17 World Hockey Challenge during the 2023-24 season and registered four assists while helping Canada claim their first U17 title since 2015.
The recently-turned 18-year-old has had an eventful draft season, too. Hopkins donned a Canada sweater, again, in August at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, netting one assist in five games to help his side to gold, and represented Team East for the first inaugural Connor McDavid Top OHL Prospects Game earlier in January.
On top of that, Hopkins has found another gear in his second season in the OHL, with 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists) in 43 games, including 15 points (two goals, 13 assists) in his past 19 games.
Strengths of Tyler Hopkins’ Game
The foundation of Hopkins’s game is his high-end skating ability and his offensive awareness, but he’s developing and being trusted more in the defensive zone in his draft year. He also harasses opponents on the forecheck with his speed and agility, and is often putting pressure on opposing defenders to force them into making poor decisions with the puck.
“Hopkins is a really strong skater with great top-end speed and agility,” FCHockey scout Mike Kennedy said. “His puck skills, hockey sense, and offensive awareness also stand out. Defensively, he is becoming more and more counted on to win faceoffs and help kill penalties.”
Hopkins has the ability to dazzle with his offensive skills and has six multi-point outings during the 2024-25 season. His standout performances of the year include a four-point outburst in October against Peterborough, a three-point game against the Petes in September, and a three-assist game in a Kingston rout of Brampton in November.
He was a prolific scorer as a 15 and 16 year old with goal-per-game efforts.
With his shooting ability it’s not hard to see why, and, though he has yet to take off as a goal scorer in the OHL, the ability is there.
“He has a quick, hard release on his shot,” FCHockey scout Joseph Aleong said. “He shows good instincts at finding open ice in the offensive zone, as well as creating space for his linemates.”
Areas of improvement for Tyler Hopkins
Hopkins displays a lot of good instincts and has the skill to go with it but needs to find a better level of consistency to his game. His 31 points on the season have come in 21 games, but he’s been held without a point in 20 games this season.
“He needs to keep working on his consistency, add strength to his frame, and refine his play away from the puck to thrive at the next level,” Kennedy said. “His skating is certainly one of his biggest assets, but managing the puck at high speed is still something that Hopkins needs work on.
“His puckhandling and finesse at high speed are inconsistent,” Aleong said. “It can lead to turnovers and forcing plays through traffic.”
Tyler Hopkins outlook
Hopkins has a lot of traits that should appeal to NHL teams at the 2025 draft in June. Due to the work that he still needs to do on his game, he’ll likely land somewhere in the second to third round. Hopkins might not be a household name or a top-line player in the NHL, but he has the potential to be a middle-six player with the ability to contribute on both special teams — a valuable commodity beyond the first round on draft day.
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