Alex Huang and what we learned on Day 2 of the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
EDMONTON, AB — Alex Huang is one of the smartest players in the 2025 NHL Draft class.
He has the marks to prove it.
Huang, who has three points (one goal, two assists) in two games with Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, logged a 99% in English, 98% in French, and 97% in Mathematics.
Oh, and 93% in Physics.
“I would say physics is a bit tougher for me,” Huang said. “I’m able to visualize better in math, so my grades are good. For me it’s pretty simple for math and physics. I missed a couple of classes so it was a bit more difficult on that end.”
Surely, NHL teams inquiring about the services of the 6-foot, 170-pound blueliner will likely let it slide.
Especially since those study habits have helped Huang’s hockey, too.
“I analyze a lot,” said Huang, a potential first-round pick in 2025 and the No. 5 pick in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft by Chicoutimi.
“I feel like I’m someone that wants to get better every single day and there are things I can do to get better. I look at every single detail in my game that I need to do to get better. Since I was young I wasn’t really the best right off the start but I got better throughout the years with the help of all my great coaches. Every single detail I want to be better. I want to be the best at everything.
“It’s just the mentality that translates from school.”
So far, so good.
Huang had 36 points (eight goals, 28 assists) in 61 games as a freshman in the QMJHL in 2023-24. He was a finalist for the Raymond-Lagacé Trophy, awarded to the QMJHL Defensive
Rookie of the Year, and was also named to the QMJHL’s 2023-24 Rookie All-Star team.
Chalk it up to his own personal video studies course.
“It’s better when you’re in the third person’s angle than yourself visualizing it because the game is so quick and you don’t know what happens,” Huang said. “When you look at the video it’s a different vision.
“It really helps me get better.”
Sascha Boumedienne has a cheat code when it comes to navigating the 2025 draft.
Sascha Boumedienne has a leg up on the 2025 draft class.
His father, Josef Boumedienne, not only went through the draft process himself, is not only a former NHLer, but also served as a European scout, director of European scouting, and an assistant coach at hockey’s highest level.
An added perk, no doubt.
“Not only him going through the draft himself and being in that position when he played, but also knowing from the other side… just him giving me tips and tricks on what to do,” Boumedienne said. “It’s worked really well so far, so it’s been good. We’ve talked about it a bit. When that time comes we’ll have a conversation about it, but nothing crazy right now.”
So far, so good.
Boumedienne is already considered a first-round talent for the 2025 draft, and not just because of his bloodlines.
The 17-year-old put forth a strong rookie season with Youngstown in the United States Hockey League in 2023-24, netting 27 points (three goals, 24 assists) in 49 games. He’s already committed to Boston University for 2025-26, too.
“I feel like my skating is probably my strongest side, skating and then finding good passes through seams and stuff like that,” he said. “I try to use my skating as much as possible and shoot the puck when I have the chance.”
That’s his biggest on-ice strength.
Off it? Dad.
“He’s been probably the biggest impact out of anyone on my career so far,” Boumedienne said. “I can’t thank him enough. He’s taught me everything I know to this day. I’m thankful.”
Top performances
Adam Benak has officially put himself on the radar. He’s etched his name in the record books, too. Benak, a potential top-10 pick in the 2025 draft, netted five points (three goals, two assists) for Czechia in a 7-3 victory against Germany on Tuesday. With the exploits, he moved into the all-time tournament lead in scoring with 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) through seven games. Magnus Paajarvi of Finland held the previous mark with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in eight games.
Viktor Klingsell kicked off his tournament for Sweden on a productive note with three points (one goal, two assists) on Monday. He one-upped himself on Tuesday with seven points (two goals, four assists) in a 12-1 win against Switzerland.
Klingsell, somehow, was outdone. Teammate Ivar Stenberg, who had one point in his tournament-opener, added four goals and three assists in the rout over Switzerland. Stenberg isn’t eligible to be taken in the draft until 2026. He misses the cutoff for the 2025 draft by just over two weeks.
Quotable
“Benny’s a great player. I’ve played against him a few times and both of us have a give-and-go mentality. We like to get open and find each other and eventually it’ll lead to a good shot that’ll go into the net or something that leads to a goal. Even playing against each other we were friends then and obviously coming together now that bonded the chemistry for sure.” — Nicolas Sykora on Team USA teammate Ben Kevan
Scouting report
Dominik Pavlik has really impressed me in short order in this tournament, and he was a force to be reckoned with in this game against Germany. The first thing that stands out with Pavlik is his wrecking ball approach to the game. He is really sturdy on his feet, and while he isn’t a true burner in open ice, he plays with a low center of gravity, has nice edge work along the wall, and is enthusiastic about throwing his weight around. He is as net-focused as they come and is looking for every opportunity to take the puck to the crease. He scored a really pretty goal in this contest, driving wide before cutting interior and beating the goalie through the five-hole. It takes courage to stop him from getting inside when he has a head of steam, as he is more than willing to skate through a wall to get where he wants. When play gets established in the offensive zone, he lives below the dots and is such a handful along the wall. Like his play on the rush, he is always thinking about how he’s going to get into the slot and takes a mile if given an inch of space to power off the wall and to the net. That straight-line, meat-and-potatoes approach means he’s a consistent asset in the war of attrition, but he isn’t the most creative puck mover. Against a team like Germany today, he had great success in the offensive zone, but in the game against the USA, where they had the horses to keep him to the perimeter more frequently, the offense was much tougher to come by. On the positive side, whether he’s creating scoring chances or not, he’s always sure to take care of his own end first. He flexes his strength down low in his own end to break up the opposition cycle, and he is fearless about throwing his body in front of shots. He plays the third-line center role perfectly on this team, and I expect that will be his ticket to higher levels as well. — FCHockey scout Donesh Mazloum