Kingston Frontenacs forward Tyler Hopkins earned the opportunity of a lifetime on July 1st this year when he was selected 86th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2025 entry draft. For a kid from Campbellville, Ontario, a tiny community outside of Milton, it’s been something of a pinch me summer.
“It’s been a lot of fun being able to go through this process,” Hopkins said. “Especially with it being the Leafs, it doesn’t get much better than that. So I’m pretty happy to be here, and hopefully I can stick around for a while.”
Now, the 18-year-old centreman is gearing up to play his first exhibition match in the blue and white sweater, as the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect team is set to face prospects from the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens this weekend at the Bell Centre. With so much on the line for players across these rosters, competing in one of the game’s biggest arenas, he’s anticipating some high stakes hockey.
“I’ve heard a little bit from the guys that played last year, (Ben) Danford was telling me that it was a pretty loud crowd,” Hopkins said. “Expecting a fast, hard, competitive game. Everybody is trying to push their name, trying to make the team. Expecting a pretty spirited game tomorrow.”
At the Bell Centre, Hopkins’ parents Christie and Glen are expected to be in attendance.
“My dad wouldn’t have missed it for the world, he’s pretty excited,” Hopkins said. “Playing against the Habs, which has been a big rivalry forever, and the first time he gets to see me in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey. I think that’s the excitement for him, and for me.”
Hopkins is looking to improve on his sophomore season with the Frontenacs where he put up 20 goals and 51 points in 67 games. He notes Anthony Cirelli and Patrice Bergeron as two players he models his game after, as he tries to increase his offensive production and improve his defensive game. Feeling stronger and quicker than last year, he feels he still has a ways to go to get his body where he wants it to be.
“You can see that everybody’s getting bigger and stronger, it’s one of the biggest things for me to be able to reach that next level,” Hopkins said. “Obviously it’s going to take a bit of time to put on that size, that weight and strength, but that’s the big thing for me moving forward.”
As Hopkins noted, every prospect will be putting their best foot forward in Montreal this weekend, looking to get their name on the radar, and the teenage skater is no exception. Hopkins will look to carry the energy from his dream summer to keep improving on the ice this weekend and into this year, wearing the Leafs uniform for the first time.