The 2025 NHL Entry Draft is tomorrow.
Some NHL teams may still be finalizing their draft lists, fine-tuning them to make sure they’ve got each prospect slotted in the right spot before their general manager trades away all of their picks.
Likewise, hardcore hockey fans are poring over independent draft rankings, preparing themselves to be extremely upset when their team doesn’t pick the diamond in the rough that one guy on YouTube really liked.
Most of those draft rankings are focused on intangible things that don’t matter like skating, shooting, and passing. Here at Pass it to Bulis, we like to focus on tangible things that mean a lot more, like how good a name looks on the back of a jersey.
They say that hockey players play for the crest on the front and not the name on the back. But it’s a lot more fun for fans to cheer for the crest on the front when the name on the back is cool.
The NHL has seen some incredible names, like Dit Clapper, Zarley Zalapski, and Håkan Loob. Those players have carved out a place in NHL history beyond what they accomplished on the ice.
A great name has to be taken into account at the draft. When you step up to the mic to make your pick, do you want to be saying a pedestrian surname like “Smith” or a cool surname like “Bear”? I rest my case.
This is the eighth year of the best name rankings, and the Vancouver Canucks have made a habit of picking from my lists over the years, taking great names like Jack Rathbone, Jett Woo, Nils Höglander, and Hunter Brzustewicz. What do those players have in common aside from great names? They’ve earned NHL contracts, despite all being picked outside of the first round. That’s a pretty good hit rate. Honestly, I'm doing better than most actual NHL scouts.
Here are this year’s best names, starting with some honourable mentions who didn’t quite make the cut.
I should note, some names land in the honourable mentions because they’re not quite as good as the top 20, while others end up in the honourable mentions because they stretch the definition of “prospect” to its absolute breaking point, like Thananutch Kulthanthorn: an incredible name, but he plays in the Siam Hockey League, which is a non-contact recreational league in Thailand.
Honourable Mentions
Daniele Wagner, Thananutch Kulthanthorn, Nathan Free, Linus Funck, Richard Gallant, Henry Brzustewicz, Ilyas Magomedsultanov, Wilson Björck, Samuel Doyon-Cataquiz, Julius Sumpf, Evan Passmore, Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, Blake Arrowsmith, Linus Böös, Noam Fältskog, Bill Zonnon, Nic Whitehead, Jonas Woo, Lane Sim, Egan Beveridge, Hudson Kibblewhite, Hughston Hurt, Jager Gugyelka, Yannik Boppart, Hunter Dingman, Oscar Krook, Finn De St. Hubert, Jonathan Thörn, Gino Texter, Neo Karling
20 | Stanley Hastings
I nearly put this name in the Honourable Mentions, but decided that I couldn’t leave the most Vancouver name in the draft off the list; not on a website named Vancouver Is Awesome.
Stanley Hastings is actually American and played high school hockey for Saratoga Springs High this past year, where he scored 9 goals and 19 points in 19 games.
Look, is this 5’9” forward going to get drafted? Absolutely not. But how could I resist putting a guy named after Stanley Park and Hastings Street on this list? Sure, that’s almost certainly not what he’s actually named for, but let’s not sweat the details.
If you don't agree with my choice to do some pandering to Vancouver with this pick, just grab your favourite name from the Honourable Mentions and pretend I put that name at number 20 instead.
19 | Chase Jette
I cannot emphasize enough, do not chase jets. You do not want to be caught in the jet-wash from the engines and, besides, what would you do with a jet after you caught it?
Chase Jette sounds like the name of a character in a dime-store novel about international superspies.
As befitting his name, Jette is a speedy forward who can fly up the ice with the puck and is also tenacious in his battles to win the puck. His point totals in the USHL were pedestrian during the regular season, with 15 goals and 24 points in 59 games, but he had a strong playoffs, putting up 13 points in 15 games.
Jette also represented Team USA at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scoring a couple of goals in five games.
There’s a chance that Jette is a late-round selection in the draft, with FC Hockey ranking him 161st on their list.
18 | Pijus Pranskevicius
Long-time Pass it to Bulis readers will know that I love me some alliteration. This name delivers, with the plosive “P”s firing out like pellets from a BB gun.
But this isn’t just an alliterative name: Pijus Pranskevicius is a well-rounded, two-way, 200-foot name that gets in the corners and comes out with the puck every time. It is a simply delightful name to say out loud.
Pranskevicius isn’t going to get drafted, as he’s an extreme long shot, but I am pulling for the kid.
He’s a 5’7” winger from Lithuania, who absolutely tore up Sweden’s second-tier under-18 league, the J18 Region, with 14 goals and 35 points in 19 games. That earned him time in the J20 Region, as well as the first-tier under-18 league, the J18 Nationell, where he continued to excel, scoring 10 goals in 15 games. He’s got some serious skill.
Top that off with some strong performances in international tournaments for Lithuania, albeit in lower tiers of the World Juniors and World Under-18 championships, and you’ve got a player whose name I’m hoping to hear a lot more in the future.
17 | Shamar Moses
“Moses parts the defence like the Red Sea.”
You’re welcome for that one, future play-by-play commentators calling games for whoever drafts Shamar Moses.
On top of being a prophet, Moses is a top prospect, who could get drafted in the third or fourth round this year. He’s a 6’1” right wing who put up 48 points in 61 games for the North Bay Battalion in the OHL this past season after a trade from the Barrie Colts.
According to scouting reports, Moses has a lot more talent than his point totals might suggest, with a great shot, intriguing playmaking ability, and a physical edge to his game. A team picking him outside of the first two rounds will be betting that he could breakout with improvements to his skating and motor.
16 | Luke Vlooswyk
A lot of names are going to land on this list simply because they are fun to say. “Luke Vlooswyk” falls into that category, as you not only get an absolute treat of a last name in “Vlooswyk,” but also a well-chosen first name in “Luke” that provides some lovely assonance and consonance.
Vlooswyk is a 6’4” shutdown defenceman with a strong chance of being a late-round pick thanks to his mobility, physicality, and reach. Being a right-hand shot doesn’t hurt.
“He remains one of the best rush defenders in this draft class in my opinion, consistently closing gaps quickly, using his size and strength effectively, and showing solid mobility,” said Elite Prospects’ Simon Desjardins in one scouting report. “He uses well-timed body checks and an active stick to disrupt plays.”
The question for Vlooswyk is whether he can move the puck well enough to make it at the next level, as his 17 points in 68 games and scouting reports suggest that his puck skills need some work.
“While Vlooswyk brings shutdown elements, his puck-moving often puts him right back defending,” reads his profile from Elite Prospects. “He chips pucks into inaccessible spots for his teammates, lacks in-motion skill, and gets jammed up by forecheckers.”
Still, he’s 6’4” and named Luke Vlooswyk every time he steps on the ice.
15 | Maddex Marmulak
This name gives main-character-in-a-fantasy novel energy.
There’s a lot going on with Maddex Marmulak. We’ve got some great assonance with the “A” sounds, some lovely consonance with the “X” and “K” sounds, and a little alliteration with the “M” sounds.
We’ve also got some cool name origins happening here: Maddex stems from the Welsh name “Madoc,” while Marmulak is a Persian name meaning “lizard.”
With an August 31 birthday, Marmulak is one of the youngest players eligible for this year’s draft, which should be kept in mind when looking at his modest point totals: 15 goals and 26 points in 60 games for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the QMJHL. He’s got an accurate shot that will likely lead to a lot more goalscoring in the future.
Relive @maddex.marmulak’s 1st career @lhjmq_qmjhl_ hat-trick in yesterday’s 7-2 win over the Victoriaville Tigres.
— Titan Acadie-Bathurst (@ABTitan) November 24, 2024
Marmulak became the first @abtitan rookie to notch a hat-trick since Antoine Morand, (ANA, 2, 2017) who accomplished the feat in the 2015/2016 season. pic.twitter.com/59Z5YHiFLL
The 6’0”, right-shot centre has committed to Cornell University in the NCAA for the 2026-27 season, so will presumably play just one more season in the QMJHL.
14 | Roger McQueen
Roger McQueen shares a last name with Steve McQueen, one of the all-time greatest and coolest actors in film history, as well as legendary fashion designer Alexander McQueen, and iconic race car Lightning McQueen. It’s a pretty cool and classic name.
It will be fascinating to see where McQueen goes in the draft, as the 6’5” centre has top-ten talent, but was limited to just 17 regular season games by a lower-back injury in his draft year. He did score 10 goals and 20 points in those 17 games, but his health is going to have to be a consideration for any team that drafts him.
Still, there’s a chance that McQueen will be not just a good prospect, but the best player in the draft, as long as he can withstand people trying to foist the nickname “Lightning” on him for his entire career.
13 | Diego Buttazzoni
Any time a name makes you do the Italian pinched fingers gesture whenever you say it out loud, you’ve got a good name. I don’t know what a Buttazzoni is, but it sounds delicious, and if I see it on a menu, I’m ordering one.
Diego Buttazzoni is in his second year of draft eligibility, which means he was unjustly left off the draft ranking last year. That’s a true oversight, for which I apologize.
In my defence, Buttazzoni was easy to overlook last season. At just 5’9”, the winger needed to have a fantastic season to catch the attention of scouts, and his season was merely good. He had 29 goals and 55 points in 67 games for the Portland Winterhawks in his draft year.
But I shouldn’t have overlooked him, particularly when he’s a homegrown talent from Langley, B.C., especially since players with far more pedestrian statistics have made these rankings in the past.
This season, Buttazzoni turned a few more heads with 38 goals and 77 points in 63 games, then exploded in the WHL playoffs, scoring 14 goals and 27 points in just 18 games.
That kind of clutch production might lead to a team taking a chance on Buttazzoni in one of the later rounds. He’s ranked 141st among North American skaters by Central Scouting.
Also, shout out to his brother Mirko Buttazzoni, who had 19 points in 32 games in the NCAA last season. That’s another great name, but no one’s drafting a guy who’s about to turn 21. Sorry, Mirko.
12 | Carter Bear
Canucks fans are well aware from the brief time that Ethan Bear was on the team that the name “BEAR” looks good on the back of a jersey.
The name “Bear” implies violence and carnage — a big, dangerous predator. But when you prepend that name with “Carter,” it gets transformed. The name “Carter Bear” is adorable and lovable, like a favourite teddy bear that you’ve hung onto well into adulthood.
“What’s that on your bed?” “Oh, that’s Carter Bear, I’ve had him since I was six.” “That’s cute. Could you maybe move him to a shelf and turn him away so he can’t see…you know?” “Of course.”
Bear is also a high-end prospect, projected to go in the top half of the first round. There’s an outside shot that he’s available when the Canucks pick at 15th overall and he would represent great value there, given he piled up 40 goals and 82 points in just 56 games in the WHL this past season.
11 | Evan Van Gorp
I’m not going to complicate the explanation too much here: “Gorp” is fun to say. That’s it. That’s all.
The prefix “Van” means “from” in Dutch names, so his name means “Evan From Gorp.” Gorp is a tiny little town in the Netherlands, while Evan Van Gorp is from Watford, Ontario.
It’s also fun that “Evan” has “Van” in it. His name means “E From From Gorp,” if you think about it way too hard.
Van Gorp is in his second year of draft eligibility, which means I missed him last year. He had a decent season for the London Knights, putting up 19 goals and 41 points in 64 games for the London Knights.
The Guy From Gorp is committed to playing for the University of Maine after his OHL career, though an NHL team drafting him would likely change that plan.
10 | Carson Harmer
The prospect of “HARMER” on the back of a hockey jersey tickles me.
“I will harm you! I am the one who harms! I am…Harmer!”
No? Just me? Well, it’s my list, so there.
Harmer is an intriguing prospect who might get picked in the later rounds. The 5’10” centre is a gritty, hard-forechecking two-way forward with a little bit scoring ability. He put up 23 goals and 50 points in 68 OHL games for the Saginaw Spirit in his draft year.
“Harmer’s game is defined by his remarkable consistency,” reads his profile from Elite Prospects. “Effective in all three zones, he wins board battles and quickly finds the best passing option off the wall. The 5-foot-10 centre is also an intelligent off-puck mover. He pushes the pace, establishes the forecheck, consistently stays open between checks and creates space for his linemates, pushing defenders back with his motor. And he’s more than capable of lining up opponents before delivering heavy hits while supporting the rush.”
Sounds like a Harmer to me.
9 | Maxwell Silver
This guy’s parents have got to be Beatles fans, right? How else do you end up with two-thirds of the title of “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” as your name? Honestly, I hope his middle name is “Hammer.” If not, we're making that his nickname.
“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” was written by Paul McCartney, who seemed certain that it was going to be a hit and agonized over its recording, which drove the rest of the Beatles batty, with Ringo Starr once calling it, “The worst track we ever had to record.”
The song is fine. So is Maxwell Silver, even if his transition from AAA hockey to junior hockey didn’t go super smoothly. Silver was a top player in AAA hockey in Los Angeles, but struggled with the Cranbrook Bucks and Victoria Grizzlies in the BCHL, putting up just 5 points in 37 games.
So no, Maxwell Silver won’t be bringing the hammer down at the NHL Draft, but he’s still done enough to ensure he has an NCAA future, committing to Colgate University for the 2026-27 season, which means one more year in the BCHL. Perhaps he’ll break out next year and earn some NHL attention.
8 | Kimi Körbler
Kimi Körbler immediately brings to mind Kimmy Gibbler from Full House, just with some added alliteration to make the name even better.
Add in some umlauts and you’ve got an A-tier name. It just feels fun to say, with those percussive “K” sounds.
Körbler isn’t likely to get drafted, unfortunately. The Swiss forward came over to Canada to play for the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL and had a decent rookie season last year, but his draft year went poorly. He managed just 3 points in 39 games while dealing with health issues that sent him back to Switzerland.
It’s a shame, as he’d had a couple of decent performances at international tournaments for Switzerland and had attracted some interest heading into his draft year thanks to his high motor and great hands.
7 | Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko
I can’t get over the last name “Tkach-Tkachenko.” That name means someone with the last name of “Tkach” married someone with the last name “Tkachenko” and decided that even though “Tkach” is already in “Tkachenko,” they had to hyphenate their last name.
To top it off, “Tkach” sounds like “catch” in English, so Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko sounds like he’s some guy named Ivan constantly chasing some other guy named Tkachenko.
Both names come from the European word for “weaver,” so his name is essentially Ivan Weaver-Weaver. And I think that’s great.
Tkach-Tkachenko is also a big and talented goaltender, who is ranked 11th among European goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting.
“One of the busiest goalies in the MHL this season, Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko is one of the most proven starters amongst European goalie prospects in this draft,” reads his profile from Elite Prospects. “He’s able to handle a heavy workload consistently, and doesn’t break down on busier nights like some other goalies in his position.”
Tkach-Tkachenko could be a late-round pick for a team that loves his 6’3” size and workhorse mentality.
6 | Mads Kongsbak Klyvø
Mads is already a fantastic first name, bringing to mind the superb Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen. Add in an outlandishly awesome last name like Kongsbak Klyvø, and this is a name that cannot be denied.
Any time you can get a nonstandard (in English) letter, you’ve got a unique challenge for a team’s equipment managers. Give him the “ø” on his jersey, you cowards!
The Danish winger had pedestrian numbers during the regular season for Frolunda in Sweden’s top junior league, the J20 Nationell, tallying 14 goals and 29 points in 42 games. But he continued to improve as the season progressed and had a great playoffs, scoring 4 goals and 8 points in 6 games.
That earned Kongsback Klyvø four games in the SHL playoffs with Frolunda, where he held his own against men.
“The appeal of Kongsbak Klyvø comes down to his physical tools,” reads his profile from Elite Prospects, who rank him 98th overall. “At 6-foot-2 and almost 200 pounds, he combines the ideal power forward build with legitimately projectable skating ability, which we rated as an above-average tool on our scale.
“Thanks to his ideal mechanics and low centre of gravity, he’s very hard to knock out of balance, but he’s also explosive and fast. In combination with a good work rate, his skating makes him a big-time nuisance on the forecheck and backcheck alike.”
Sounds like a Canuck already.
5 | Noa Nsonsa-Kitala
There is something so satisfying about how Noa Nsonsa-Kitala rolls off the tongue when you say it out loud. It sounds poetic, with an iambic quality to its rhythm, and the alliteration of the "N" sounds and assonance of the repeated “A” sounds is so pleasing.
Nsonsa-Kitala is ranked 124th among European skaters by Central Scouting and might have been ranked higher if he had the chance to play against better competition.
The Belgian-born 6’1” forward played in France’s men’s league and represented France at the World Junior D1A Championship — the division below the top World Junior tournament. He had 3 goals and 5 points in 5 games at the World Juniors and also played well for the Under-18 team at various tournaments, scoring 6 goals in 6 games.
Nsonsa-Kitala is very slight for his tall frame at 157 lbs, but if he can add strength and size, there’s potentially something there, as he’s a very strong skater. And there’s always something intriguing about finding a prospect in an underscouted league.
4 | Måns Goos
Gross.
Goos is a goaltender with the type of size and athleticism that the Canucks have typically loved at that position. The Swede is 6’5” and has had some respectable performances at international tournaments.
“Måns Goos represents a lot of raw potential,” reads his profile from Elite Prospsects. “With his 6-foot-5 frame, he has NHL size and moves well enough to use it; he also has decent technical habits where he’s able to maximize that size — he doesn’t make himself small, like some other tall goalies.”
That’s not the first time I’ve heard that Måns Goos has a lot of raw potential.
Goos is ranked in the top 100 by a few independent draft rankings, with Ryan Kennedy from The Hockey News and Chris Peters from FloHockey ranking him 87th and 99th, respectively.
3 | James Bond
No, really. His name is Bond. James Bond.
And you’re not going to believe it, but James Bond is from Hollywood. No, literally.
Bond had a couple of parents who saw an opportunity and took it. You have to respect that.
Well, maybe he doesn’t have to respect it. Apparently, he goes by his nickname, “Ace.” But let’s admit it: Ace Bond is a pretty cool name too.
Bond is a 6’3” defenceman out of the BCHL, who didn’t do too much this past season for the Sherwood Park Crusaders, but it was enough to earn him a spot with the University of Maine in the NCAA. He’s committed to Maine for the 2026-27 season, giving him one more year in the BCHL.
Okay, so he’s not much of a prospect, but holy smokes, what a name.
2 | Felix Färhammar
Dudes will see this name and say, “Hell yeah!” (I’m dudes).
Felix Färhammar sounds like the name of a Viking warrior; you have to think Thor, God of Thunder, would approve. I can picture Thor seeing an enemy a long ways off in the distance and thinking, “I can get him with a Färhammar.”
Despite not turning 18 until April, Färhammar got into a couple of SHL games after a strong season with Örebro in the J20 Nationell, Sweden’s top junior league. His 21 points in 43 games in the J20 Nationell is pretty good production for a defenceman with more of a defensive mindset.
The 6’1” Swede could be a late-round pick thanks to a well-rounded game that provides a strong platform for future development.
Also, any NHL team would love to have “FÄRHAMMAR” on the back of their jersey.
1 | Jack Toogood
Look, there are a lot of jokes I could make about this name. I’m sure you’re thinking of a bunch of them right now. But aside from the jokes, “TOOGOOD” on the back of a jersey goes hard. Much like Jack.
It’s a last name that would make the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles suspicious.
“It’s quiet.” “Yeah, a little too quiet.” “That was easy.” “Yeah, a little too easy.” “He’s good.” “Yeah, a little Toogood.”
Honestly, this name is an incredible sequel to one of the names from last year’s draft ranking, Jack Good.
Unfortunately, much like Good, Toogood isn’t likely to get drafted. The winger had just 7 points in 56 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL last season. He’s not that good, but his name is still Toogood.
