The NHL surveyed dozens of draft-eligible players at the scouting combine in Buffalo, asking them about role models, dream records, and the strangest questions teams threw at them. Their answers reveal everything from animal comparisons to trash talk that actually worked.
The 2025 NHL Draft takes place June 27-28 in Los Angeles.
Which NHL player do you model your game after?
James Hagens, the Boston College center, doesn’t hesitate when asked about his role model.
Jack Hughes. A lot of similarities from his game that I can see in mine. The way he skates, the way he sees the ice, the way he scans. I think they’re all things I try to implement in my own game.
Victor Eklund from Djurgardens sees himself in a different type of player. People have compared him to Travis Konecny, so he’s embraced that comparison. He likes Konecny’s physicality and leadership presence on the ice.
Jackson Smith, the Tri-City defenseman, models his game after Miro Heiskanen and Shea Theodore. Both are skating defensemen who contribute offensively while staying solid defensively.
Milton Gastrin looks to another Swede for inspiration. The MoDo center compares himself to Gabriel Landeskog, appreciating how Landeskog works hard and plays with intensity and aggressiveness.
Jack Nesbitt from Windsor has his sights set on becoming the next Adam Lowry. At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, that’s the frame he wants to reach. He loves how Lowry plays a complete 200-foot game as a captain, makes big hits, and scores in crucial moments.
Lynden Lakovic draws inspiration from multiple sources. The Moose Jaw winger compares himself to Tage Thompson but wants to emulate Matthew Knies, who has a similar frame and excels at using his body in net-front situations.
Malte Vass watched the playoffs closely and found his comparison. The Farjestad defenseman really likes Lian Bichsel’s style in Dallas. He thinks their playing styles are similar – simple and hard hockey.
Jack Ivankovic studies two elite goaltenders. The Brampton netminder looks at Juuse Saros and Igor Shesterkin, focusing on their speed, strength in their pushes, and high hockey IQ.
Cole Reschny sees elements of two different centers in his game. The Victoria player combines aspects of Brayden Schenn’s hard, 200-foot play with Brayden Point’s tenacity. He admires how Point overcame questions about his size and skating ability through pure determination.
Mans Goos has followed one goaltender since he was young. The Farjestad netminder watches Marc-Andre Fleury constantly, loving his athletic ability and competitiveness.
If you could steal one trait from an active NHLer, what would it be?
Brady Martin from Soo doesn’t need time to think about this one.
Connor McDavid’s skating, 100%. That guy is the GOAT. Best of all time.
Nathan Behm wants something more subtle. The Kamloops winger would take Nikita Kucherov’s deception – all those head fakes and stick fakes that make defenders look foolish.
Kashawn Aitcheson thinks any player could benefit from his choice. The Barrie defenseman wants Sidney Crosby’s hockey IQ, even though Crosby plays forward.
Ryker Lee agrees with Martin about McDavid. The Madison winger says McDavid’s speed would be dangerous and super fun to have.
Nesbitt wants to add some edge to his game. He’d steal Matthew Tkachuk’s agitation – the ability to get under opponents’ skin and into goalies’ creases.
Tommy Lafreniere knows exactly what his game needs. The Kamloops center wants Sam Bennett’s or Evander Kane’s physicality, the kind that lifts entire teams.
Maceo Phillips focuses on defensive skills. The U.S. National Team Development Program defenseman wants Jake Sanderson’s breakout ability – that skill of retrieving the puck and making the right play.
Asher Barnett appreciates the finer defensive details. His USNTDP teammate would take Gustav Forsling’s stick work, which he considers the best in the league.
Carter Klippenstein wants the complete package. The Brandon center would steal Aleksander Barkov’s brain, calling him one of the smartest players in the NHL.
Goos has studied Sergei Bobrovsky’s style recently. He’d take Bobrovsky’s control and skating ability – how he’s never caught off guard and always seems ready.
What’s the strangest question a team asked you at the combine?
Hayden Paupanekis discovered Montreal likes animal comparisons.
They asked me what type of animal I am on and off the ice. I said I’m a grizzly bear on the ice and a dolphin off the ice. I think dolphins are nice and fun to hang around. On the ice, grizzly bear mentality is pretty scary.
Gastrin got the same animal question from Montreal. He said a cat because he has one at home named Mojito. On the ice, he’s a tiger – like a bigger cat.
Smith received some interesting advice about Montreal’s question. Utah told him to say mammoth, so he went with a mammoth mixed with a goldfish. The mammoth represents size and versatility, while the goldfish brain helps him forget mistakes and move on.
Owen Martin faced a more complex scenario from Montreal. They asked about the Chris Rock and Will Smith incident at the Oscars – whether he could hold himself back if someone insulted his family. He said he’d talk to them first rather than immediately resorting to violence.
Shane Vansaghi went with polar bear for Montreal’s animal question. He described it as a seek-and-destroy mentality on the ice. Off the ice, he’s a golden retriever – fun and easygoing.
He also got the Chris Rock-Will Smith question and provided a nuanced answer about context. At the Oscars, the golden retriever wouldn’t hit back. On the ice, the polar bear probably would.
Phillips dealt with a fabricated scenario. Dallas claimed his roommate said he was out past curfew. He laughed it off, knowing they had lights out at 9:00.
Aitcheson faced a physical challenge from Nashville. He had to balance golf balls on top of each other and managed to succeed.
Lasse Boelius got a numbers game from the Rangers. He had to find numbers 1-100 in order on a paper with 100 scattered numbers, all within 30 seconds. He found five.
What’s the best trash talk you’ve heard on the ice?
Hagens heard a creative one that made him laugh.
Someone told me I should’ve turned on the TV and watched them on draft day a couple years back. And I was on my couch, turning on my TV to watch him.
Nesbitt hears constant chirping directed at his teammate Liam Greentree. Players mock Greentree’s missing front teeth by talking with a lisp when they approach him.
Barnett and Vansaghi both got chirped about their eyebrows. Neither knew quite how to respond to the unusual insult.
Smith witnessed a memorable exchange involving his 16-year-old teammate Cruz Pavao. A 20-year-old called Pavao a mini fridge, which made the younger player visibly upset.
Klippenstein says most of the effective trash talk involves comments about girlfriends or sisters. Those usually leave guys quiet.
Max Psenicka deals with predictable chirping about being European and supposedly not speaking English. He shuts that down quickly.
If you could own one NHL record by the end of your career, what would it be?
Matthew Schaefer keeps it simple. The Erie defenseman wants to win a lot of Stanley Cups.
Anton Frondell agrees completely. The Djurgardens center wonders if there’s a record for most Stanley Cup wins, because that’s all that matters to him. He hates losing and loves winning.
Owen Martin was inspired by current events. Seeing Alex Ovechkin break the goals record made him think that experience would be pretty cool.
Nesbitt wants something unique to his playing style. He’d take either most tipped goals or most faceoffs won, given how much he works on deflections and plays net-front on the power play.
Barnett thinks defensively. He wants the best plus-minus record – being on the ice when good things happen and avoiding goals against.
Paupanekis would embrace the physical aspects. He’d want most hits or most blocked shots, thinking that would be a cool legacy.
Draft system preferences
Klippenstein supports the current NHL system. He likes how it tests scouts’ ability to project potential rather than just current ability. Coming in at 18 really challenges scouts to see what players could become.
Paupanekis thinks player declaration could be interesting. He believes many guys need more time to mature as people and find their identity. Once players fill out physically and gain confidence, it makes a big difference in their development.
Barnett appreciates the NHL’s approach for different reasons. Even undrafted players can still sign with teams after college or junior hockey. He likes how teams project future potential rather than just current ability.
The combine revealed these prospects’ personalities as much as their hockey knowledge, showing the human side of players hoping to hear their names called in Los Angeles this summer.
