TORONTO – The 2025 National Hockey League Draft wrapped up Saturday and saw goaltender Trenten Bennett of the Kemptville 73’s (CCHL) as the lone Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) player being selected.
Earning the CJHL’s Top NHL Prospect Award, Bennett was taken in the fourth round, 99th overall, by the New Jersey Devils.
The 19-year-old Kitchener, Ont., product appeared in 31 games with Kemptville in 2024-25 sporting a 2.92 goals-against average, along with a 2.92 save percentage, while posting three shutouts.
Meanwhile, there were four CJHL alumni taken over the course of the two-day event.
This includes defenceman Simon (Haoxi) Wang, who was drafted in the second round, 33rd overall, by the San Jose Sharks.
He spent the first half of the 2024-25 campaign with the King Rebellion (OJHL) before joining the OHL’s Oshawa Generals.
The towering six-foot-six-inch blueliner appeared in 66 OJHL contests with both the Rebellion and the Brantford 99ers, accumulating 29 points from the backend.
You also had former Kemptville 73’s forward Parker Holmes tabbed by the Chicago Blackhawks in the fourth round, 107th overall.
The Montreal Canadiens then tabbed netminder Alexis Cournoyer in the fifth round, 145th overall.
Cournoyer tended goal for the Truro Bearcats (MHL) in his CJHL playing days.
Another Maritime Hockey League stalwart, in D-man Will Murphy was drafted in the sixth round, 172nd overall, by the Detroit Red Wings.
Murphy skated previously in the CJHL with the MHL’s Summerside Western Capitals.
| 2025 NHL DRAFT | |||||||
| CJHL (Minimum five games played) | |||||||
| PLAYER | NAME | POS. | SELECTED BY | ROUND | OVERALL | CJHL TEAM(S) | LEAGUE |
| Trenten | Bennett | G | New Jersey Devils | 4 | 99 | Kemptville 73’s | CCHL |
| CJHL ALUMNI (Minimum five games played) | |||||||
| PLAYER | NAME | POS. | SELECTED BY | ROUND | OVERALL | CJHL TEAM(S) | LEAGUE |
| Simon (Haoxi) | Wang | D | San Jose Sharks | 2 | 33 | King Rebellion | OJHL |
| Brantford 99ers | OJHL | ||||||
| Parker | Holmes | F | Chicago Blackhawks | 4 | 107 | Kemptville 73’s | CCHL |
| Alexis | Cournoyer | G | Montreal Canadiens | 5 | 145 | Truro Bearcats | MHL |
| Will | Murphy | D | Detroit Red Wings | 6 | 172 | Summerside Western Capitals | MHL |
Photo credit: ivelevel.com