So much of Islanders' future hinges on Mathieu Darche nailing No. 1 pick
LOS ANGELES — Aside from June 25, 2021, when the Islanders lost Game 7 of the NHL semifinals to the Lightning, it's hard to come up with a bigger date for the franchise in recent memory than June 27, 2025.
The 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay was the Islanders falling short in their best chance to win the Stanley Cup since the 1980s, and set in motion the four-year series of events that led to this offseason of incredible consequence, with Lou Lamoriello losing his job, the Islanders winning the lottery for the first time since 2009 and Mathieu Darche being installed as general manager.
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Whatever follows will be traced back to the decisions the Islanders make Friday and perhaps in the few days that follow. That's not just surrounding the No. 1 pick, which is widely projected to be Erie defenseman Matthew Schaefer. It's about whether the Islanders trade back into the first round to draft James Hagens as well, whether they re-sign or trade Noah Dobson and any other decisions Darche makes that shape his first roster as general manager.
In the main, however, it is the No. 1 pick that will hold deep and lasting consequences for the organization far beyond anything else Darche may or may not do over the next few days.
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Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Simon Wang makes history as NHL's highest-drafted Chinese player
LOS ANGELES - Simon Wang is still only 17 years old. The journey that brought him to Peacock Theater on Saturday morning had already been long and winding. Then he made history. The San Jose Sharks chose the defenceman from the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals with the first pick of the NHL draft's second round, making the six-foot-six, 222-pound Wang the highest-ever Chinese player selected at No. 33 overall. 'Unreal moment for my family, for hockey (in) China,' Wang said as he sported his new team's teal threads. 'Trying to soak it in.' The teenager started playing hockey in Beijing at age four, but his family decided he needed more competition to develop following conversations with a friend already in Canada. Wang moved to the Toronto area in 2019, and after heading home during the COVID-19 pandemic, returned to Ontario and enrolled in a private school. Wang's mother, Willa, then bought a junior-A team in Brantford, Ont., and relocated it to Nobleton — roughly 125 kilometres away — where her son started to flourish. The two other Chinese-born players drafted to the NHL are 2024 Winnipeg Jets fourth-round pick Kevin He and 2015 New York Islanders sixth-rounder Andong Song. 'I'm just getting started,' said Wang, who's committed to eventually attend Boston University in the NCAA. 'I never really knew this game, how it's supposed to be played, until (age) 14. I'm always the underdog. Always have distance to catch up. I still have hunger in me, still have to drive that I've got to get better every single day. 'That's why I'm probably one of the most unique guys in the draft class.' Wang started this season in junior-A before signing on in the OHL with the Generals, where he put up two assists in 32 games as he continued to grow into his body and learn the sport. Now he's set a new draft benchmark. 'Definitely special,' Wang said. 'I hope I've inspired a lot of kids back home, and hopefully one day my record gets broken — someone goes in the first round, maybe top-10. That's probably the ultimate goal for Chinese hockey. 'There'll definitely be someone that is going to make a huge impact on the game.' It could very well be Wang. DECENTRALIZED DRAFT The league's first-ever decentralized draft in a non-pandemic scenario — similar to the NFL and NBA, where teams make selections off-site — continued with the Montreal Canadiens trading up to get Alexander Zharovsky at No. 34. The six-foot-one, 163-pound Russian winger had 24 goals and 26 assists for 50 points across 45 games for Ufa on his country's junior circuit this past season. The Vancouver Canucks took goaltender Alexei Medvedev of the OHL's London Knights at No. 47. The Russian went 22-8-2 with a .912 save percentage and 2.79 goal-against average for the Memorial Cup champions. The Calgary Flames picked centre Theo Stockselius at No. 54. The six-foot-three, 196-pound centre put up 51 points (22 goals, 29 assists) in 40 games in 2024-25 for Djurgardens' developmental team in Sweden. The Toronto Maple Leafs made their first pick OF the draft with the second round's final selection, taking Tinus Luc Koblar, also out of the Swedish junior league, at No 64. The Norwegian centre had 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 43 games for Leksands in 2024-25. The Ottawa Senators made a trade with the Los Angeles Kings earlier in the day when they acquired defenceman Jordan Spence for a third-round pick this year and a 2026 sixth-rounder. The Detroit Red Wings made the day's biggest splash, adding John Gibson via trade from the Anaheim Ducks for fellow goaltender Petr Mrazek, a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-rounder in 2026. Saturday's third round saw Vancouver take centre Kieren Dervin (No. 65), Montreal grab centre Hayden Paupanekis (No. 69), and Calgary go with defenceman Maceo Phillips (No. 80) before the Canadiens took blueliner Bryce Pickford (No. 81) and goaltender Arseni Radkov (No. 82). The Edmonton Oilers made their first pick of 2025 at No. 83 with winger Tommy Lafreniere. The Leafs then selected Tyler Hopkins at No. 86. The centre from Campbellville, Ont. — just outside Toronto — grew up a fan of both the team and captain Auston Matthews. 'To wear this jersey, I can't even describe the feeling,' said the 18-year-old. 'That was the ultimate dream.' Winnipeg took centre Owen Martin (No. 92) and Ottawa chose winger Blake Vanek (No. 93). Ottawa opened the fourth round by selecting goaltender Lucas Beckman (No. 97), wingers Dmitri Isayev (No. 149) and Bruno Idzan (No. 181), along with netminder Andrei Trofimov (No. 213). Montreal tabbed centre John Mooney (No. 113) and goaltender Alexis Cournoyer (No. 145). The Canadiens then added a trio of defencemen in Carlos Handel (No. 177), Andrew MacNiel (No. 189) and Maxon Vig (No. 209). Edmonton plucked winger David Lewandowski (No. 117), defenceman Asher Barnett (No. 131), goaltender Daniel Salonen (No. 191) and centre Aiden Park (No. 223). Toronto grabbed winger William Belle (No. 137), winger Harry Nansi (No. 153), defenceman Bruno Idzan (No. 185) and winger Matthew Hlacar (No. 217). Vancouver selected centre Wilson Bjorck (No. 143), winger Gabriel Chiarot (No. 175) and centre Matthew Lansing (No. 207). Calgary picked wingers Ethan Wyttenbach (No. 144) and Aiden Lane (No. 176), defenceman Jakob Leander (No. 208) and winger Yan Matveiko (No. 211). Winnipeg wound up with winger Viktor Klingsell (No. 156), defenceman Edison Engle (No. 188) and winger Jacob Cloutier (No. 220). This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2025. Error! 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San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Will the Broad Street Bullies be back? Flyers go big at the NHL draft
By the time the Philadelphia Flyers are legitimate contenders again a few years down the road, they could have a lineup that makes the 1970s Broad Street Bullies proud. Five of their eight selections in the NHL draft stand 6-foot-3 or taller, including first-rounders Porter Martone and Jack Nesbitt. They overlooked smaller talent to get a hulking winger in Martone at No. 6 and traded up for Nesbitt, a 6-5 center, with the 12th pick. 'It's a nice bonus that they're both tall and will bring us size, as well,' general manager Daniel Briere said. 'It just kind of worked out that way. It wasn't a plan that we had in mind going into the draft that we wanted to get bigger. It just happened that way.' Philadelphia's second-rounders were 6-6, 232-pound defenseman Carter Amico and a trio of nice-sized forwards: Jack Murtagh, Shane Vansaghi and Matthew Gard. Murtagh described himself as 'a high-end workhorse.' Their second fifth-round pick, Luke Vlooswyk, called himself 'a big defensive, defenseman.' He said Gard, a teammate with the Western Hockey League's Red Deer Rebels, is 'a big kid like me.' Bulking up the prospect pool makes sense for the Flyers, who have a lot of smaller talent in the system, from budding star Matvei Michkov already on the roster to 2024 first-rounder Jett Luchanko, who played four games for them last season. They also just traded for 6-foot center Trevor Zegras and could use some size in their not-too-distant future. Bloodlines After William Horcoff, whose dad Shawn spent 15 seasons in the NHL, went 24th to Pittsburgh in the first round, Day 2 of the draft was full of the sons and nephews of retired players hearing their names called. It started with Seattle trading up to get Blake Fiddler, son of Vernon, early in the second round. Eric Nilson, son of Marcus, went a handful of picks later to Anaheim. There were more familiar names picked in the third round: Artyom Gonchar, nephew of 2009 Stanley Cup champion Sergei Gonchar, to the New York Rangers, and Blake Vanek, son of Thomas, to Ottawa. Italian history After Simon Wang became the highest-ranked China-born NHL draft pick when San Jose chose him at No. 33, Matous Jan Kucharcik made some Italian hockey history. Taken by Buffalo 103rd, Kucharcik is a Czech national but became the fourth player born in Italy to be selected. ___
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Simon Wang becomes highest-drafted player born in China, going 33rd to Sharks in NHL draft
Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Simon Wang was proud to become the highest-drafted player born in China when the San Jose Sharks selected him Saturday with the first pick of the second round of the NHL draft. The big defenseman is also confident he won't hold that distinction for long. 'It's an unreal moment for my family, for hockey in China,' Wang said. 'Just a really surreal moment, a dream-come-true moment. ... I hope I've inspired a lot of kids back home.' The 6-foot-5 blueliner was chosen 33rd overall while the NHL concluded its newly decentralized draft with the final six rounds at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The New York Islanders kicked off the draft Friday by using the first overall pick on defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Wang's family moved from Beijing to Toronto when he was 12 to further the career of a kid who attended the NHL China Games and became fascinated with a sport that has grown steadily in China. Wang is only the third Chinese-born player ever drafted by the NHL, but he knows he won't be the last. Kevin He was drafted 109th overall by the Winnipeg Jets last year, and Andong Song was chosen 172nd by the New York Islanders in 2015. 'Hopefully one day my record will get broken again,' Wang said. 'Someone will go in the first round, even top 10. I think there will definitely be someone that's going to make a huge impact on the game.' His real name is Haoxi Wang, but he plans to go by Simon during his hockey career because 'it's simpler for North Americans,' he said. Wang is a physical specimen who probably isn't even done growing, but he surged forward in his hockey development over the past year, showing more than enough potential to entice the Sharks and several other teams. Wang aspires to be an imposing two-way defenseman in the mold of Victor Hedman or Colton Parayko, but he had little draft buzz until the start of last season, when teams began to take notice of his rapidly developing skills. He soon joined the OHL's Oshawa Generals and got even more exposure during their playoff run. 'Seeing so many scouts in the Junior A barn, it just started hitting me,' Wang said. 'The summer before the season, I thought I was going undrafted, to be honest with you. But it happened for a reason, and I worked so hard for this. I deserve to be here.' Wang got into hockey as a child, but he didn't truly embrace the game until his family took a trip to Los Angeles eight years ago. The 10-year-old attended a Kings game right across the street from where he was drafted — although he fell asleep during the game, he recalls with a laugh. Wang then attended that Bruins-Flames game played in Beijing in 2018, and he soon decided to move to Canada to boost his development. Wang walked the red carpet in Los Angeles on Friday with his mother, who propelled his career — and even bought and moved his former junior team. He also got his first chance in nearly two years to see his brother, who studied at Boston University, where Wang might play college hockey starting in 2026 if next year in Oshawa goes well. After minimal player movement Friday, several significant trades were executed Saturday. Longtime Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson was traded to Detroit in a package for Petr Mrazek, while defenseman Jordan Spence went from Los Angeles to Ottawa in a bid for more playing time. Almost every first-round prospect was in attendance in Los Angeles, but the players in the audience dwindled on the second day. The late rounds were still memorable for several attendees — including Alexis Mathieu, who went 136th overall to the Anaheim Ducks in the fifth round. Mathieu, a physical defenseman from Baie-Comeau in the QMJHL, knew he wouldn't be a first-round pick, but his family decided to take a vacation to Southern California so Mathieu could attend the draft. His family kept him upbeat with jokes while the draft stretched into the back of the middle rounds Saturday. The group roared with excitement when Mathieu's name was announced, and he got got to walk down to the stage to pull on the orange sweater and hat. 'When I heard my name called, it was something special,' Mathieu said with a broad grin. 'Like they say, dreams come true. ... It was a little vacation for us at the start of the week, but when I arrived downtown, it was draft mode.' The 223rd overall pick was also in attendance: Aidan Park, a product of the Los Angeles Jr. Kings system and the nephew of former NHLer Richard Park. The 19-year-old center got one last big cheer and a walk to the stage when he was chosen by the Edmonton Oilers in the seventh round. ___ AP NHL: recommended
