There's been a lot of news coming out of the Vancouver Giants dressing room in recent days, with the team confirming some exciting NHL entry drafts, as well as a making a pair of import drafts, and one swap with Everett that will invariably change things up a bit more on the G-Men bench this fall.
First off, the Giants have confirmed that 18-year-old forward Cameron Schmidt, hailing from Prince George, has been selected by the Dallas Stars in the third round of the 2025 NHL entry draft (94th overall).
During the 2024-25 Western Hockey League (WHL) season, Schmidt scored 40 goals and added 38 assists for 78 points in 61 games. He and Everett鈥檚 Carter Bear 鈥� who is one year older 鈥� were the only first-year draft-eligible players from the WHL to score 40-plus goals this season.
During the 2024-25 WHL season, Schmidt scored 40 goals and added 38 assists for 78 points in 61 games. He and Everett鈥檚 Carter Bear 鈥� who is one year older 鈥� were the only first-year draft-eligible players from the WHL to score 40-plus goals this season.
Schmidt鈥檚 78 points ranked first on the Giants, making him the first under-18 player since 2012-13 to lead Vancouver in scoring.
He also led the G-Men in playoff scoring with nine points in five games (4G-5A), noted Giants assistant general manager Pete Toigo in congratulating Schmidt and his family for the selection.
鈥淐ameron is one of the most electrifying players we have ever had and we鈥檙e thrilled to see him achieve this goal," Toigo said. "At the same time, we鈥檙e excited to continue fostering his development moving forward.鈥�
Schmidt was originally selected by the Giants with the 7th overall pick in the 2022 WHL prospects draft. The 5-foot-8 winger is one of just three players in franchise history to reach the 40-goal milestone in his 17-year-old season, joining Evander Kane and Brendan Gallagher.
Internationally, Schmidt won his third gold medal with Team Canada last month at the IIHF U-18 World Championship. Schmidt also won gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer and at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in November of 2023.
Scouts have been making comments about this draft, including Jason Bukala on Sportsnet.
鈥淭his could be gold for the Dallas Stars. He's undersized, but he's uber-skilled," Bukala said of Schmidt. "Plays with Canada on the national teams. Scored 40 goals. I call him more of a power-play specialist slash play-driver... he's got top-six NHL forward upside. Cole Caufield like if he hits."
Similarly, Steven Ellis of Flo Hockey Rankings was optimistic about the young player's future.
"Schmidt might be small at 5-foot-8, but he makes up for it in pure skill. He started the season as one of the league鈥檚 most productive forwards. His numbers started to quiet down as the season wore on, but he still showed his incredible puck skills and play reads every single night. Schmidt is a pure offensive forward with great speed and likes being in front of the net," said Ellis.
Elite Prospects Draft Guide has been noted applauding several of Schmidt's abilities, too.
"Capable of firing in between two strides off the rush, picking the corners of the net from low angles, catching and releasing passes, and adjusting his footwork instantly for one-timers, Schmidt can beat goalies several ways. Precise and deceptive, he also finds pockets of space to set up his shot at a high rate. With more ice time and shot volume, he may have ended up with the top goal-scoring mark in the WHL. And we anticipate that he will win that crown over the next couple of years as he refines his scoring game."
Schmidt is the 39th Giants player in their 24-year history to be drafted to the National Hockey League (NHL).
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Burke drafted by New York
Schmidt wasn't the only Giant whose name came up in the draft this week. Goalie Burke Hood has joined him in earning the NHL distinction.
The 18-year-old goaltender, who hails from Brandon, Man., has been selected by the New York Islanders in the sixth round of the 2025 NHL entry draft (170th overall).
In his first season in the WHL, Hood had a 19-13-6 record, 3.13 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. That .910 mark was T-5th in the WHL in save percentage among goalies with 25 or more games played.
The six-foot-four rookie netminder had a .923 save percentage in 30 appearances from Dec. 1 onwards, with a 16-9-3 record. According to SportLogiq, Hood ranked third in the WHL in goals saved above expected (20.7), which factors in the quality of shots he faced.
鈥淏urke earned the starting role for us in his first season in the WHL through hard work and dedication 鈥� plus his natural athleticism," Toigo noted.
"He鈥檚 a stand-up young man and we鈥檙e excited to see his game continue to evolve.鈥�
Hood was originally selected by the Giants in the sixth round in the 2022 WHL prospects draft, 119th overall.
Internationally, Hood won a gold medal with Team Canada last month at the IIHF U-18 World Championship as the third goaltender.
As a scout, Ellis noted how Hood finished the season as one of the top goaltenders in the WHL, "and one many believe could be a real steal in this draft class."
"As a true base, there鈥檚 a lot to love here. He tracks pucks as well as anyone and is rarely out of position," Ellis noted, joined in his praise by the Elite Prospects Draft Guide.
鈥淏eing named the third-string goalie for Team Canada at the Under-18 World Championships was a nice recognition for Burke Hood鈥檚 season, after the goalie quietly had one of the most consistent campaigns in the WHL鈥� Hood is a big goalie with strong athleticism, and that combination of size and mobility makes him an intriguing project鈥� Hood is also a battler around the crease. He鈥檚 willing to embrace some contact when players try to take away his eyes, and he does a good job of continuing to track pucks, even when dealing with immense chaos.鈥�
Hood became just the fourth Giants goaltender to ever be selected in the NHL draft and the 40th Giants player of any position.
The other Giants netminders to be picked in the NHL draft were Trent Miner (Colorado, 2019), David Tendeck (Arizona, 2018) and Tyson Sexsmith (San Jose, 2007). Hood becomes the first ever Vancouver Giant ever to be selected by the New York Islanders.
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Giants select Czech defender
Giants selected 2006-born defenceman Jan Skok (Pisek, Czechia) with the 61st overall pick in the 2025 Canadian Hockey League import draft on Wednesday.
Skok, who will turn 19 in October, brings experience and grit to the backend, said Giants general manager Hnat Domenichelli.
The left-shot blueliner suited up in 28 games last season in the Czech professional men's league for HC Plzen, while also producing nine points in nine games for Plzen's U20 club (2G-7A). During the 2023-24 season, the 6-foot defenceman recorded eight points (1G-7A) and 150 penalty minutes in 39 games at the U20 level, while also playing eight games in the men's league.
"Jan is a national team player that should compete for a spot on the World Junior team with Czechia," Domenichelli said. "We expect him to come in and play big minutes for us. He's a steady, reliable, veteran defenceman that should help right away."
Internationally, Skok has represented Czechia at the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the 2023 IIHF U18 World Ice Hockey Championship and the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he helped his country win a Silver Medal.
Domenichelli was also thrilled to announce the signing of 2007-born Slovakian forward Tobias Tom铆k to a WHL scholarship and development agreement this week.
Tom铆k was selected by the Giants with the 29th overall pick in the 2024 CHL import draft. He won鈥檛 turn 18 until Dec. 18, making him a top prospect for the 2026 NHL entry draft.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very excited to add Tobias to the Vancouver Giants lineup. He鈥檚 a creative, offensive minded player," the GM said. "We鈥檙e confident we鈥檙e going to have three quality imports in our lineup who will all play important roles on the team this year.鈥�
Tom铆k played in the Slovakian professional league this past season for HK Dukla Trencin, which is the same team that former Giants captain Sam Honzek played for in 2021-22.
The left-shot forward scored six goals and added a pair of assists for eight points in 40 games. He also recorded 11 points in seven games in the U20 Slovakian league last year, on four goals and seven assists. Plus, Tom铆k has represented Slovakia multiple times on the international stage.
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Giants swap import picks with Everett
The Giants have acquired a second-round pick in the 2028 WHL prospects draft from the Everett Silvertips in a trade that also sees the two clubs swap first-round picks in the 2025 CHL import draft.
The full trade sees the Giants acquire the 61st overall pick in the upcoming CHL import draft, along with a second-round pick in the WHL prospects draft in 2028, in exchange for the 31st overall pick in the 2025 CHL import draft.
As part of a new policy announced in May, CHL clubs are now permitted to carry up to three import players on their rosters, starting in the 2025-26 season. In accordance with this rule change, the CHL import draft expanded to three rounds.
