Some locals might remember Tommy Lafrenière from his younger days as a part of the Whistler Minor Hockey Association (WMHA).
Lafrenière was recently drafted 83rd overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the third round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The former local boy represents Edmonton's highest pick of the day after the franchise traded its first and second rounders to the Philadelphia Flyers and Arizona Coyotes respectively.
Listed at six feet tall and 172 pounds, Lafrenière notched 23 goals and 56 points in 68 games with the WHL's Kamloops Blazers: good enough for second in scoring among WHL rookies during the 2024-25 campaign. Before that, he played four seasons at the Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford, B.C.
Scouting reports highlight Lafrenière's effort level, speed and two-way acumen, with one Central Division NHL scout likening him to "a smaller Nick Suzuki". Now the WMHA alum has a chance to work his way up the Oilers pipeline, potentially hitting the ice alongside superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the future.
