Vancouver Giants 18-year-old forward Cameron Schmidt 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 season, Schmidt scored 40 goals and added 38 assists for 78 points in 61 games.
Schmidt鈥檚 78 points make him the first under-18 player since 2012-13 to lead Vancouver in scoring. He also led the Giants in playoff scoring with nine points in five games (4G-5A).
Giants Assistant General Manager Pete Toigo called Schmidt "one of the most electrifying players we have ever had."
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.
Elite Prospects Draft Guide described Schmidt as a "precise and deceptive" player with "top-end speed to break through the defensive line, get the puck in the offensive zone, and relay deceptive passes to teammates across the ice."
Schmidt is the 39th Giants player in their 24-year history to be drafted to the NHL.
Giants 18-year-old goaltender Burke Hood was selected by the New York Islanders in the sixth round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft (170th overall).
In his first season in the Western Hockey League, Hood had a 19-13-6 record, 3.13 goals-against average and .910 save percentage.
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.
Toigo said Burke "earned the starting role for us in his first season in the WHL through hard work and dedication 鈥� plus his natural athleticism. 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.
Elite Prospects called Hood "a big goalie with strong athleticism" who is "willing to embrace some contact" with attacking players.
Hood is just the fourth Giants goaltender to be selected in the NHL Draft and the 40th Giants player of any position
Other Giants netminders to be picked in the NHL Draft are 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.
