Calgary talents Ben Kindel, Jackson Smith chosen 11th and 14th in NHL Draft
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Ben Kindel listed his dream linemate as the legendary Maurice Richard.
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But how about playing alongside Sid Crosby, Ben?
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It's in the cards for the Calgary Hitmen forward after the Pittsburgh Penguins shocked many — including Kindel himself — by making him the 11th selection Friday night in the 2025 NHL Draft.
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'Yeah … you always kind of dreamed about this day,' said Kindel, who was visibly surprised at being drafted so high — 10 picks better than his final rating of 21 among North American skaters in the NHL Draft Prospects Rankings.
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'I guess I never knew if it would become a reality or not,' continued Kindel, the third Western Hockey League talent selected on the evening. 'I think just if you put enough work into it, anything can happen.'
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Jackson Smith, a graduate of the Glenlake Hawks and product of Edge School, was chosen 14th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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'I'm gonna be honest … I don't really have much of a clue what's down in Columbus,' Jackson told reporters, with a laugh, at the prospects party in Los Angeles. 'I've never been there before.'
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But the Jackets have more than a clue about Smith.
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They chose the 6-foot-4, 199-lb. defenceman — a 54-point-getter with the Tri-City Americans last WHL season — because he's big and strong and has got a smooth set of wheels.
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'What we really like is he's one of the best skaters in the draft,' said Blue Jackets GM/president of hockey operations Don Waddell. 'And he can transport the puck — get you out of trouble really easy.
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'You need puck-moving defencemen in this game today, because the games are played very fast. And we're very fortunate to be able to add Jackson to our lineup.'
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The Smith selection was announced by Meredith Gaudreau, the widow of Calgary Flames legend Johnny Gaudreau, making for an emotional moment at L.A.'s Peacock Theatre.
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'My greatest honour is representing (Johnny),' Meredith told the crowd at the draft. 'So just really happy to be here.'
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For Smith, going to the Blue Jackets means a chance to hang out on the same blue-line as one of the game's top defencemen in Zach Werenski.
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'He's an incredible hockey player,' said Smith, who was rated 13th among North American skaters in the NHL Draft Prospects Rankings. 'Going to the same team as (Werenski), it's pretty cool.'
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Article content But how about playing alongside Sid Crosby, Ben? It's in the cards for the Calgary Hitmen forward after the Pittsburgh Penguins shocked many — including Kindel himself — by making him the 11th selection Friday night in the 2025 NHL Draft. 'Yeah … you always kind of dreamed about this day,' said Kindel, who was visibly surprised at being drafted so high — 10 picks better than his final rating of 21 among North American skaters in the NHL Draft Prospects Rankings.
