The 2023 NHL Draft is just one week away. The next part of our draft coverage focuses on two high profile Indigenous players eligible to be selected this year. A huge thank you goes out to Hockey Indigenous (@HKYIndigenous) for their help with this part of our draft series. There may be other Indigenous players who get drafted this year, however these are the only two we are currently aware of. If you know of any others, please let us know and we will include them in this spotlight.
Carey Terrance
Carey Terrance is Mohawk from Akwesasne Nation.
| Player | Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carey Terrance | C | L | 6’1″ / 185 cm | 174 lbs / 79 kg |
Terrance just finished his second season with the Erie Otters of the OHL, and also suited up for the United States U18 team in the NTDP.
| Season | Draft Relative | Team | League | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | D-1 | Erie Otters | OHL | 62 | 10 | 14 | 24 |
| USA U17 (all) | International-Jr | 4 | 5 | 6 | 11 | ||
| 2022–23 | D+0 | Erie Otters “A” | OHL | 67 | 30 | 17 | 47 |
| U.S. National U18 Team | NTDP | 8 | 3 | 6 | 9 | ||
| USA U18 | WJC-18 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
After a decent rookie season in his D-1 year, Terrance progressed nicely in his draft year, even wearing a letter for the Otters. The Otters were the second worst team in the entire OHL this season, so the fact that Terrance put up 30 goals as an 18-year-old in the OHL is actually very impressive. Scouts use the CHL playoffs as a major data point in their draft rankings, so Terrance not being able to play in the OHL playoffs has hurt his draft stock. However, he has a ton of impressive attributes and could have been in the first-round conversation if the Otters had been a playoff team.
The thing that stands out the most with Terrance is his speed. This guy can really fly, both with and without the puck. He’s built for the modern NHL with the ability to get around defenders with ease on the forecheck, and has the defensive awareness to get back on the rush as well. Check out this filthy shorthanded goal that shows off Terrance’s high-end speed and stickhandling in tight.
Terrance also loves to play below the dots. He is a tenacious player in the corners and around the net, and willingly goes to the dirty areas of the ice. Though his size is good, he doesn’t necessarily use his frame that well and would need to learn how to make plays while taking contact. He will no doubt fill out his frame as he develops, though.
On defence, Terrance is decent at the junior level, and can be seen picking off passes in transition and breaking up opposing rushes. However, this is an area of improvement for him as he isn’t a high level defensive player at this point—something that will prevent him from being a centre at the professional level.
Additionally, Terrance is a fighter—not by dropping the gloves but by giving it his all. He has high-end talent but consistently works hard on every shift and really grinds out every second he’s on the ice. This is a player so easy to root for, the team that selects him likely in the second round of the draft will be extremely happy once they have him in their prospect system.
Expect Terrance to be selected in the late second round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Jayson Shaugabay
Jayson Shaugabay is Ojibwe from White Earth Nation.
| Player | Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayson Shaugabay | C | L | 6’1″ / 185 cm | 174 lbs / 79 kg |
Shaugabay has been on the scouting radar for several years now after putting up massive numbers in the Minnesota high school system. He just finished his final season in high school with Warroad High in Minnesota, and his first and final season in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers. Shaugabay is committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for the 2023–24 season.
| Season | Draft Relative | Team | League | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | D-3 | MN North Stars 15U AAA | MNBEL 14U | 14 | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| Warroad High | USHS-MN | 28 | 30 | 42 | 72 | ||
| 2020–21 | D-2 | Team Sanford Power | UMHSEHL | 17 | 4 | 10 | 14 |
| Warroad High | USHS-MN | 20 | 24 | 30 | 54 | ||
| 2021–22 | D-1 | Team Sanford Power | UMHSEHL | 17 | 9 | 10 | 19 |
| Warroad High “C” | USHS-MN | 31 | 27 | 55 | 82 | ||
| Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| USA U17 (all) | International-Jr | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | D+0 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 27 | 3 | 13 | 16 |
| Warroad High | USHS-MN | 31 | 33 | 63 | 96 | ||
| 2023–24 | D+1 | Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth | NCAA | – | – | – | – |
Shaugabay put up 87 goals and 222 points in just 79 games with Warroad High in Minnesota. This past season he ranked third overall in the entire USHS-MN league in scoring, behind two players who are both over six months older than him. He finished first overall in assists though, and also won the Mr. Hockey award as the most outstanding Minnesota high school hockey player for the season. This is a very prestigious honour; past winners include Jack Peart, Casey Mittelstadt, Nick Bjugstad, Nick Leddy, Ryan McDonagh, Paul Martin, and others. Shaugabay’s first season in the USHL was also decent, putting up a respectable 16 points in 27 games.
Shaugabay is a playmaker, through and through. He’s one of the best playmakers available outside the first round, and uses high-end vision to thread passes to his teammates. He is at his best when along the wall and along the perimeter, rarely driving to the middle but creating extremely effective opportunities from the outside by finding holes in the defence.
Right now, Shaugabay is a one-dimensional player who doesn’t shoot all that much. It’s likely a preference to setting up his teammates though, as he does possess a very good wrist shot that will be effective at the NCAA level right away. The biggest problem on offence for Shaugabay is his reluctance to use it. With a targeted coaching plan, he can be shut down, but if he does mix in his shot more often, he will become much more difficult to strategize against.
All in all, Shaugabay is a talented player who does have the skills to play at the NHL level someday. He does have things to work on, but as a players who will likely be selected in the late second round or early third round, he offers higher upside than others in that range.
Getting ready for the draft
Both of these players will hear their names called at the draft. Good luck to Terrance and Shaugabay and their future development!
