Acadia 2025 Draft Review

A busy week in Saint John for the Acadia Grizzly Bears began with the club making a flurry of trades and ended with more than a dozen players added to their prospect pool. The selections began with a trio of picks in the 1st round and were completed midway through the 5th round. 

Acadia GM Guy Flaming addressed the media after the draft to go through the picks and the reasoning behind all of the trades as well. 

"The trades, those were done more with free agency in mind than the draft," Flaming began, "With a number of our SICHL roster players needing new deals before the start of the season, and a decent amount of picks too, we knew that we'd need to clear out the organization a little bit in order to do what we wanted to. We initially wanted to trade some of our organizational depth for picks in 2026 or 2027 but other than the one deal we made with Brno, that didn't seem to come together."

In all, Acadia dealt 12 players and 3 late 2025 draft picks and in return collected a very late pick in 2026 and five earlier picks in 2025. 

Round 1

13th: Carter Bear (LW) Everett Silvertips - The 40-goal scorer led a talented Everett Silvertips squad in scoring despite missing the final month of the regular season (and playoffs) with an Achillies injury. Bear is versatile forward who generally plays on the left side but is also comfortable at the dot. The Manitoba product is expected to be fully recovered from last season's injury very early this season and should be in the mix to represent Canada at the 2026 U20 WJC.

"We liked him for a lot of reasons, certainly his ability to put the puck in the back of the net," said Flaming, "But I'll admit that our marketing department approached us and said that if he was realistically in consideration to be our choice, they were fully on board. I think they may still have some unused promos from the days when we had Ethan Bear in our organization." 

24th: Lynden Lakovic (LW) Moose Jaw Warriors - Big, mobile and very skilled, Lakovic has terrific upside. He is clearly the best player the Warriors have and, considering he's a late '06, is quite probably in his final WHL season and the #1 trade target for teams that will be in 'win now' mode. Lakovic also missed time last season with a shoulder injury but is fully healed and ready to go after year where he compiled 58 points in 47 games. 

"He had a great year but it was interrupted by the shoulder injury," said Grizzly Bears head scout Chris McCarthy, "We like his size and his playmaking ability a lot. We think there is still another level that he can get to with his compete where he uses his size more intimidatingly. Right now he's hard to take the puck away from because he uses his reach so well but he sometimes forgets that he's 6'4 and over 200 lbs, he should be imposing his will more and I think that wll come."

28th: Mason West (C) Edina High - When it comes to potential, the 6'6 and 220 lb center might be unmatched in this draft class but he's not without some risk. West is a two sport athlete and is currently finishing his high school football season at Edina where he is the team's highly touted quarterback. Last season, West had 49 points in 31 games for the school and then finished the USHL season with Fargo where he added 9 more points in 10 games. What he intends to do for 2025-26 is still to be decided.

"He's got a commitment to play for Michigan State beginning next fall which we think is great," said Flaming, "But giving up the first half of this hockey season to play football isn't ideal from a development perspective. We really like the loyalty that he is showing his team and he should be commended for that. When football is done, we want him to strongly consider taking advantage of the WHL option that he has. The Vancouver Giants hold his CHL rights and they look like a team that should play deep in the playoffs this year. Rather than go back to Fargo in the USHL, we'd like to see him make a step up and challenge himself more. He might even benefit from a full season there next year and then go to college after that."

Round 2

57th: Lucas Beckman (G) Baie-Comeau Drakkar - A 6'2 goaltender from Montreal that had a fantastic year from a statistical perspective. Beckman managed a 31-18-2 record with a shiny .914 sv$% and 2.65 GAA. 

"Yeah, and his stats in the playoffs were actually even better," said McCarthy, "He played 2 games for Canada at the World U18s and one at the Hlinka back in the summer of 2024 as well. We think he's got an ideal frame where he isn't so big that he loses agility and yet he's also got enough height that goalie scouts like to see."

"I heard his being interviewed on The Pipeline Show and I was really intrigued by his mindset, Flaming added, "After that I went to watch him several times and was sold."

Round 3

63rd: Cooper Simpson (F) Shakopee High - Acadia chose a second high school sensation with the first of three picks in the 3rd round. 6'1 Cooper Simpson scored 49 goals and 83 points in just 31 games for Shakopee High and then appeared in 9 regular season games for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL and he scored 7 goals there too. 

"He's a shooter, no question about that," nodded McCarthy, "Youngstown traded for him this year and he had four points in the first game of the year. I think it's fair to say that we felt he would do better with a tougher challenge than the USHL, especially if he follows through with his NCAA commitment to play for North Dakota next year. Like Mason West, the Vancouver Giants in the WHL hold his CHL rights and we'd strongly recommend that Simpson make the move up. Could you imagine that team, already probably the best on paper in the WHL's BC Division, if they added those two to their roster?"

73rd: Alexis Cournoyer (G) Cape Breton Eagles - When the NCAA rule change was announed in November of 2024, Cournoyer jumped from Truro in the MJAHL to the Cape Breton Eagles in the QMJHL and never looked back. In both leagues he had outstanding goalie stats including a 1.82 GAA and .942 sv% in the QMJHL. The 6'4 keeper, who will turn 20 in December, has moved to Cornell for the 2025-26 season where he is expected to be the new starter. 

"He's bigger and older than Beckman is so from that sense, he may be closer to the SICHL too but with goalies you just have to be patient and let them develop and their pace," said McCarthy. 

"We ended up taking three goalies this year, largely because of how unpredictable they can be as they develop," said Flaming, "The guy you take in the 7th round might end up being the one that makes it while the 1st rounder gets labeled as a bust. It's a weird position."

88th: Hunter St. Martin (LW) Medicine Hat Tigers - Originally available in the 2023 SICHL Draft, St. Martin fell through the cracks until now. The 6'2, 185 lb forward scored 24 goals in 2024 and followed that up with 39 last year for the Tigers. 

"His consistency has come a long way as has his physical skills like his skating and his tenacity," said Flaming, "He had a really good team around him but he was, in many ways, an emotional leader for the Tigers as they went on to win the WHL championship. We think he will be ready to play in our farm system very soon and if he continues to develop, he'll have a chance to play with the big team too."

Round 4

95th: Malte Vass (D) Färjestad - The first European selected by Acadia this year is big, physical defenceman Malte Vass. At 6'3 and 193 lbs, Vass plays a very north american style of game, often characterized as being meaner and tougher than you may typically see in Sweden. He represented Sweden at the Hlinka, the World Junior A Challenge and at the World U18s as well. This season he is joining Boston University as a freshman.

"We'll actually have 5 prospects playing at BU this year so we'll be there on a regular basis," said Flaming, "He caught my attention right away at the Hlinka last summer in Edmonton. Very aggressive and tough, he wasn't getting pushed around or intimidated by Canada or the Americans, he was the one insitgating stuff and I liked that."

96th: Ilya Karnasky (G) Tula - A rarity for Acadia, a Russian draft pick - the first the Bears have made since Mikahil Stefanovich in 2008, aside from goalie Arseni Sergeyev in 2022 but he'd been playing in North America for years. Karnasky is a '04 born, 6'3 netminder that consistently out performs the other goalies on his team. Last season he ended the year with a record of 22-8-1 and .938 sv% and 2.24 GAA. Early returns this year at a higher level show even better individual stats while his teammates struggle to keep the puck out of the net.

"Listen, those Russian leagues don't do anything for me so until he is over here, I don't really know how good he is," said Flaming, "His numbers are great and I have to wonder if he'd have played for Russia at the World Juniors these past few years if that country was allowed to play. We'll never know but hopefully we can get him over to the GHA sooner as opposed to later."

100th: Owen Martin (C) Spokane Chiefs - A rugged, two-way center known more for his play in his own end as opposed to leading a rush or putting up offensive numbers. 

"You need those types of players to win too, not everyone needs to be a guy that pots 3o goals and 80 points," said Flaming, "If he develops in to a player that we can count on to anchor a third or fourth line, kill penaties...what's wrong with that? And maybe his offensive game continues to develop in the WHL this year with Spokane."

108th: Julius Sumpf (C) Moncton Wildcats - A 6'2 German centerman that helped Moncton win a QMJHL title. Another capable two-way pivot but one that has shown that he can contribute offensively when played with capable forwards.

"We saw Moncton a lot as we had Etienne Morin there too and obviously we were watching other draft eligible guys there," said McCarthy, "We think he has a refined game that will only get better now that he's moved on from the Q to play at Providence this year. He's another guy that is older in the draft class and we hope that means he's also a little closer to playing for us one day."

115th: Luke Vlooswyk (D) Red Deer Rebels - A former 1st round selection in the WHL draft, Vlooswyk is a 6'5 rearguard with excellent mobility and a strong presence in his own end. The Calgary product is known for being positionally sound and he uses his feet and frame to sliminate forwards in corners or on a rush. 

"I would consider any offence that comes from him to simply be a bonus. We're drafting him for his ability to defend, first and foremost, but we do think he's got more to offer at the other end of the rink once he develops a little more," said McCarthy, "Red Deer has been offensively challenged the last couple of years so he hasn't had forwards to give thepuck to and earn assists and he's not the kind of guy to lead a rush himself."

 118th: Max Heise (F) Penticton Vees - The Bears' final pick in the 4th round was forward Max Heise who spent 2024-25 with the BCHL version of the Penticton Vees but now joins the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders. Eventually he has a NCAA commitment to Michigan State to consider as well.

"I honestly can't say that it was a strategy that we had or anything but Heise is another guy who is older than most of the draft class. He'll turn 20 in February so this will be his first and (probably) last season in the WHL," said Flaming, "We like him for his two-way game. He had 40 points in 50 games for the Vees in the regular season but then went over a point-per-game in the playoffs when it really matters. We liked that and we like that if he goes to college one day, he's picked a program at the top of the heap in Michigan State."

Round 5

130th: Bruno Idzan (LW) Lincoln Stars - Originally from Croatia, Idzan has spent the last few seasons playing junior hockey in Sweden. The 19-year-old has also represented his country extremely well on the international stage having played in the U20 D2 World Junior Championship three straight years, leading the national team in scoring the most recent two tournaments. This past season he split time playing professionally in the AlpsHL, where he had 30 points in 19 games, and the USHL with the Lincoln Stars where he compiled 44 points in 36 games.

"He's exciting to watch," Flaming began, "He's not big and yet he continuously finds open ice and makes plays, scores hilight reel goals and generally makes the opposition look dumb. We'll see if that continues now as he gets set to play college hockey at Wisconsin."    

133rd: Owen Griffin (C) Oshawa Generals - Considered a "defensive center", Griffin proved that label to be wrong after he broke out with 29 points in 21 playoff games for the Generals last spring. At 5'10 and 160 lbs, he's not going to physically overpower anyone but he plays with a tenacity that is uncommon.

"He's a real bulldog on the forecheck, when he doesn't have the puck on his stick, he's foaming at the mouth to get it", said McCarthy, "I think there is untapped offensive ability there too and we got a glimpse of it in the playoffs. We were there watching Calum Ritchie and Noah Powell but we couldn't help but notice Griffin busting his ass all over the ice."

Draft Notes

• Acadia made 15 selections at the draft. 7 were born in 2007, 4 from 2006, 3 from 2005 and one (Kanarsky) was born in 2004.

• Prospect goalie Dominic Basse was traded to Brno for a 7th rounder in 2026. "He played for 3 different NCAA programs after we'd drafted him and he never really seemed to get settled into any of them. We wish him well with Brno."

• Forwards Lucas Ciona, Ben King and Blake Biondi were packaged and dealt to Portland with just a single 4th round pick coming back. That pick was used to select Julius Sumpf. "We liked all three players but this was part of the mission of trimming assets to be cap compliant. If the league didn't limit us to 100 assets, we wouldn't have trade those guys or some of the others that we moved," said Flaming.

• Similarily, defenceman Ethan Edwards and forward Nico Myatovic are now with the Montreal Milionaires. "Both of those guys have SICHL futures, I am sure of it. BUt we didn't think it would be with us and so we paired them up and got decent pick in return which we used to draft Luke Vlooswyk."

• The Bears also sent a trio of late 2025 picks along with prospect Adam Ingram to Nova Scotia in exchange for an early 4th rounder. "Never easy to deal with a team within the same division but we knew that by the time the 4th round came, we would be near the end of our list of draft targets so those late picks didn't mean much to us. In the end, we took a gamble on the Russian goalie, ask me again in a few years if it was worth it or not."

• Alexandre Texier, Jalen Luypen, Tristen Robins, Jeremy Hanzel and Vojtech Port were then packaged and delivered to Chicago for a couple of 2025 picks. "Texier's contract was an issue for us this year as we didn't project him to be on our SICHL roster but couldn't send him to the GHA. With those picks we chose Owen Martin and Bruno Idzan and who knows, we may have hit homeruns or we may have struck out."

Bear Tracks

• Acadia resigned or qualified all of their restricted free agents with the exception of forward Josh Lopina who is now a UFA. The moves have the Bears in compliance with the SICHL asset cap.
• Prospect goalie Vladimir Nikitin has found a home for 2025-26 as he has joined the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL. 
• There are 6 Bears prospects who have moved from the Canadian Hockey League to the NCAA for this season. (Tomas Mrsic, Blake Montgomery, Noah Powell, Alexis Cournoyer, Ryder Ritchie and Julius Sumpf).
• Defenceman Spencer Gill played last year for the Rimouski Oceanic but was acquired in the off season by the Blaineville-Boisbriand Armada, the #1 ranked team in the CHL. 
• Forward Carson Wetsch was captain of the Calgary Hitmen this past season but was acquired this summer by the Kelowna Rockets, the hosts of the 2026 Memorial Cup.
• Goaltender Arseni Sergeyev has settled on a North American version of his first and last name - Arsenii Sergeev.